


The Person Falling Here is Me

by meadowlark93



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Background Relationships, Budding Love, Comfort, F/F, Injury Recovery, Lesbian Character, Minor Character(s), Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Trauma, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:35:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 33,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25992997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meadowlark93/pseuds/meadowlark93
Summary: Lin Beifong joins Team Avatar and Tenzin at the South Pole in a final hope to restore Korra's bending. And while the Avatar is struggling with her own emotional turmoil, and the crew is there to support her regardless of her fate, Lin is struggling with her own trauma. And an old friend is there to support her.An exploration into what happens when Lin and Kya are reunited in the South Pole after the events of Legend of Korra: Book 1 and how their relationship builds over the course of the series, expanding on the canon plots from the show.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Kya II
Comments: 111
Kudos: 330





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own these characters, yatta yatta. This is a new fic, unrelated to my [previous KyaLin fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25129528/chapters/60885415), which explored what their relationship could've been from childhood to mid-adult life. 
> 
> I very specifically wanted to delve into Lin's emotional state and the mental toll Amon taking her bending has on our esteemed Chief of Police. Since, you know, emotions and Lin are like oil and water. In my head, I imagine Kya's the only one there that's noticed that Lin is suffering, while everyone tries to attend to Korra. This will eventually build up into more adult themes, which is why I've just gone ahead and given it an "M" rating, though for all intents and purposes this chapter is "T."

_ Her body arched so far back that she thought her spine might snap. She was paralyzed with pain, it felt as if her blood turned to ice and was ripping through her veins up through her skull and into the thumb pressed against her forehead. When the other hand holding her shoulder finally released its grasp, her body fell limp to the ground. She laid there, watching the masked men around her stare at her, victory in their posture. The group walked away, and she desperately threw her fist with whatever strength she could muster, but it was to no avail. She could no longer manipulate the ground beneath her. A cold sweat broke over her body, despite the rain falling and she tried to cry, she tried to scream, but there was nothing in her to release. She was empty.  _

Lin shot up in bed with a scream. She was drenched in her own sweat. Her lungs burned for more oxygen, but she could only take short, shallow breaths. Her vision was foggy, but she could tell she wasn’t in her own room, her own bed. The unknown surroundings set her into a further panic and she could feel her chest tightening, begging for air. She clutched at the sheets beneath her, her muscles so tense she could feel her arms tingle with the tension.

A door opened, but through her clouded vision she could only see a silver figure making its way toward her. She tried to let out another scream, to move away, but her body was stuck. She was gasping for air, but it was failing. With every struggle for breath, her vision became darker. 

“Lin, it’s ok,” the voice said. But Lin was panicked. Her body was so strained, she couldn’t turn her neck to look at the source. 

Just then, a cool sensation enveloped Lin. She felt her muscles relax and grip release the sheets, the throbbing in her head dulled as her vision cleared. Lin inhaled deeply and felt her lungs filled with the life source they desperately sought. She held it there for as long as she could, almost afraid to let it go again. When she did exhale, she turned to look at whoever it was that had saved her, still confused about her surroundings. 

Two cool blue eyes stared back at her, the face was tan and slender, framed by long, silver locks. The woman’s eyebrows were furrowed, her full lips turned down at the corners in concern. 

“Kya?” Lin was so confused, but as she questioned her old friend’s presence and came to her senses, she remembered she was, indeed, at the South Pole. 

“It’s me, Lin” Kya said, as she sat on the edge of the bed next to her, placing a hand on her back and rubbing it up and down. “I think you had a nightmare that sent you into a panic attack, are you ok?” 

Lin nodded, a shiver shot down her spine at the memory of the dream. She looked down at her own powerless hands with defeat, embarrassed. 

It had been five days since Amon had taken her bending and left her empty of all power. 

She’d made the ultimate sacrifice to save Tenzin and his family, to save the Avatar, but she had failed. The airbenders may still have control of their element, but he’d still captured them. And she couldn’t stop him from getting to Korra.

After Amon got away, Lin joined Team Avatar and Tenzin’s family on a trip to the Southern Water Tribe to see Katara, the master water bender and best healer in the world. If anyone could restore Korra’s bending, it was her. And if she could restore Korra’s, then perhaps there was hope for Lin, too. 

Tenzin, his wife, children, and brother, Bumi, all stayed with Katara, his mother. Korra and her friends stayed with her own parents. And Kya, the third sibling who resided in the south, offered her spare room to Lin. The pair had grown up together between Republic City and Air Temple Island as the children of the previous Team Avatar. 

Lin finally turned back to Kya, “Thanks” was all she could muster. Her throat was dry and raspy from the hyperventilating. Lin tried to clear it, but it got stuck. 

“Here, drink some water,” the bender said, and picked up a glass from the night table and handed it to her. Lin took the glass and eagerly chugged down the contents. The liquid lubricated her throat and she was able to properly clear it. 

The pair sat there in silence for a few minutes, Kya still rubbing Lin’s back. Lin became conscious of the touch and shifted her weight over in the bed, away from Kya so she could face her, but she continued to say nothing. 

“Do you want to talk about it? Your dream?” Kya asked. 

“Not particularly.” Lin replied, trying not to let the knot of humiliation and anger threading in her lash out against this woman who had just helped her. “I’m...sure you can guess.” 

Kya just nodded. “We’ll figure it out, Lin. There has to be a way to restore your bending.” The tan woman reached out and grabbed Lin’s hands and squeezed them, but she quickly pulled them away. 

“Your mother needs to focus on the Avatar, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” She lied, trying to convince them both. 

“It’s ok to be scared.” Kya said softly. 

“I’m not scared.” Lin snapped back, but she was terrified. She was now without power and without title. No longer an earth or metal bender, no longer Chief of police. She was alone with nothing and no one and she didn’t know where to go from here. 

Kya could see the concern across Lin’s face, she could sense the stress radiating off of her. As if reading her mind, “You’re not alone, Lin. You have all of us. I’m here for you.” She reassured her.

Lin’s face shot up and just stared at her, her pupils dilated creating thin rings of jade around a black spheres. Kya’s heart broke for her old friend. 

“I should get some sleep.” Lin replied. 

“Of course,” Kya said and slid off the bed. “If you need anything, I’m just one room over.” 

Lin nodded and Kya made her way back to the door. Just as she reached it, Lin spoke back out and stopped her.

“Kya?”

“Yes, Lin?” She said, turning back around. 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Kya said with a smile and turned to close the door. “I hope you can get some rest. Goodnight, Lin.”

“Goodnight, Kya.”

As the older woman left her room, Lin could feel the smallest sense of relief wash over her. She laid back down, but she could not fall back asleep. But this time, instead of hellish images of Amon and his henchmen, she could only think of the woman in the next room who had come to help her. The curve of her lips when she smiled; the way her robe cinched at her waist to show off her full bosom and hips; the way those hips swayed as she walked away. The warmth of her soft hands on Lin’s back...

“Get a grip on yourself, woman!” Lin scolded herself as she felt heat rise to her chest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking I'm going to build this out so that it follows the canon of the show, but expands on the stories and tells the "what could've been" between the two women.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Katara cannot heal Korra's lost connection to the elements, Lin loses all hope of regaining her own bending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adult themes, but nothing explicit!

It had been four hours and neither Katara nor Korra had emerged from the healer’s quarters. With every passing hour, Lin could feel her hope dying out. The air in the waiting room was tense, rarely anyone made a noise, save Tenzin’s infant son, Rohan, who occasionally cooed. 

Finally, the door slid open and the elderly Katara joined the group. Everyone quickly stood at the sight of the healer, out of both respect and anticipation. Katara looked grave and Lin felt her heart drop before the words even came out. 

“I’ve tried everything in my power, but I cannot restore Korra’s bending.” 

Lin was the first to reply, “But you’re the best healer in the world.” She tried to contain the desperation from showing in her voice. “You have to keep trying!”

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing else I can do.” Katara said, solemnly. “Korra can still air bend, but her connection to the other elements has been severed.” 

With that, the Avatar slid the door open behind the old healer and scanned the group. Lin could see the emptiness behind her blue eyes, she recognized the look from her own reflection.

“It’s going to be alright, Korra.” It was Tenzin this time, trying to reassure her. 

“No, it’s not,” the girl replied and fled the hut. 

Lin felt her heart break and dropped her head in defeat as the Avatar stormed away. She knew Korra was right. It was not going to be alright for either of them. It was over, there was no hope left. Lin had grown used to disappointment over the years, but this, this was a new level of defeat that rocked her to her core. 

They dispersed and Lin made her way back to Kya’s house. She walked in, head hung low. Kya stood from the couch as she entered the room. 

“What happened?” Kya asked, but Lin just looked up at her and silently shook her head back and forth. 

“Lin, I’m so sorry.” She was devastated for her and could see the dread in her eyes. She knew Lin was trying to stay strong, she always did, but as a bender she understood the sense of completion you received from your bond to the element. While she couldn’t understand what Lin was experiencing, she could imagine how empty she’d feel if she lost her water bending. And she knew Lin had worked harder than almost anyone to be the best earth and metal bender she could be to maintain the Beifong standard. To impress her mother. “There has to be another way!”

“It’s done, Kya, there is no other way.” Lin’s jaw was sternly set, giving away no emotion in her response. “It’s over.” 

“I’m sure there’s something-”

“I said it’s over. Leave it alone.” Lin interrupted, but despite trying to maintain her cool exterior, her voice betrayed her and cracked. 

“Oh Lin,” Kya said as she walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. No sooner was it there did Lin skirt out from under it. 

“It’s fine.”

“But Lin…”

“I said I’m fine.” This time it came sternly as she regained control of her emotions. “Got anything to drink?” She deflected. 

Kya stared at her for a moment before turning and crossing the room and into the kitchen. Lin made her way to the couch and sat down, dropping her head into her hands, propping her elbows on her knees. Kya returned with two hearty glasses of red wine and handed one over as she sat down next to Lin, facing her and drawing her feet up so that they tucked underneath. She leaned against the back of the couch. 

Lin stared at the contents of her glass and gave them a swirl. “Cheers,” she said, without turning to face her company, lifting the glass she took a large swig. Kya raised her glassed toward Lin and followed suit, but with a smaller sip. 

The two women sat there in silence. Kya watching Lin, Lin staring forward at the door, drinking. 

Kya tried searching Lin’s face for any sort of emotion, but it was a worthless effort, it remained stoic. She so desperately wanted Lin to open up, but she knew Lin had never been forthcoming with her emotions. 

Even as children, Lin was tough as nails. If she was upset, she never cried, but hell hath no fury like Lin Beifong scorned. That, Kya remembered all too well. Not that she was ever on the receiving end, but boy did Suyin, Lin’s sister, get it. The two never got along and their fighting was a sight to behold, even as children they were two of the strongest benders Kya had ever seen. 

That’s why she knew Lin’s loss of power had to be traumatizing. It’s why she so desperately wanted to help her process it. 

Lin could feel Kya’s cool blue eyes on her, burning her skin with their stare. Her signature scent swelled around Lin, reminding her of the night before and how she’d come to help her. She knew Kya wanted to help now, too, but there was no point in discussing it. Talking wasn’t going to change anything. 

She wanted to forget her failures, her losses, her shame. She wanted to forget Tenzin and Korra and Amon and the Equalists. She wanted to forget how she couldn’t save her men. Forget how she had to give up her position. Forget how she’d been made a public failure. Forget how she’d lost everything. 

She wanted...no, she needed to fill the gaping hole left in her. She needed to feel something other than defeat.

Lin cleared the contents of her glass and finally turned to face Kya, who still had half her glass remaining. “Got any more?” 

“Help yourself, I left the bottle on the counter.” 

Lin nodded and walked back into the kitchen and returned with the bottle and a second pour. “So we don’t have to keep getting up,” she said, shaking the bottle and placing it on the table in front of them. 

She sat back down, this time closer to the other woman so that her knees brushed against Kya’s softly, their thighs an inch apart. Lin smirked as she saw Kya smile at the touch and she felt her heart quicken. 

She chugged down her second glass of wine and placed it next to the bottle. The alcohol coursed through her as her head buzzed. She sat against the back of the couch and turned to face Kya, who was only inches away. 

Kya watched Lin closely as the tension in the room shifted. Her breathing became shallower as their eyes locked. Kya analyzed her face: her piercing green eyes, milky skin, her fine nose, full lips, strong jaw line. Lin bit her bottom lip softly and raised a suggestive eyebrow at Kya, causing a warmth to rise through the tan woman until she was blushing. 

“Lin…” Kya breathed, but Lin’s lips were upon her before she could say anything else. Kya gave into the advance. Their mouths clashed desperately, lips, tongue, teeth. Lin wrapped her hand in Kya’s hair and pulled the back of her head in closer. It was only then that Kya stretched away to stop them. 

“Lin, wait.” Kya held her palm against Lin’s chest, holding her back. Lin’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration and she let out a groan. Kya took a deep breath. Her body wanted to continue, but her mind knew they needed to consider. She didn’t want to move down a path they would both regret. She didn’t want to take advantage of Lin. 

“Are you sure...” Kya tried to find the words. “There’s a lot going on, maybe we should talk?”

Lin growled, “I don’t want to fucking talk, Kya.” 

“I just don’t want us to do something we’re going to regret.”

“My life’s chock full of regrets.” Lin retorted with a laugh. “I may as well enjoy one of them.” 

“Lin…” Kya shook her head. “I’m serious, I care about you. You can talk to me, we can work through this.”

Lin paused at the vocalized, genuine concern Kya expressed. She was used to people ignoring her needs, her feelings, her desires. She had no system of support, she never did. And despite her reaching out, the thought of opening herself and letting the floodgates of failure wash out of her now felt too overwhelming. 

“Please Kya, just help me forget.” Lin pleaded. An act so unfamiliar, the sound felt foreign despite rolling off her own tongue.

Kya stared into Lin’s eyes, swirling in a sea of jade she saw it all: the fear, the rage, the desperation, the desire. 

Kya turned away from Lin and placed her own wine glass beside the one on the table. As she turned back, she felt two strong hands wrap themselves around her waist, pulling her across so that she straddled the other woman. Kya snaked her hands into Lin’s hair and pulled her head back, nipping along the exposed neck as she rocked her hips into Lin’s beneath her. A wave of pleasure washed over Lin, eliciting a moan from the back of her throat. 

Lin slid the hem of Kya’s dress up so that her dark legs sat exposed, she dragged her nails down them and back up. She pulled Kya in closer, guiding her motions back and forth as she gripped her hips. 

Kya released her hold on Lin’s hair and pulled her head forward until their lips met again. Their lips meeting and parting in a dance. Lin ran her tongue against Kya’s lower lip and took it between her own, gently sucking as she ran her hands up beneath the dress and traced her thumbs below the swell of Kya’s breast. Kya moaned against Lin’s mouth and ground her hips harder against her. 

Lin needed more, she wanted to feel Kya’s body pressed against her own. She navigated the dress up and the women paused so that Lin could pull the item off entirely. Lin then tucked her hands under Kya’s thighs and lifted her up, shifting their weight and laying her across the couch.

Lin was still in her uniform. Forgetting herself momentarily, she threw her arms forward, as she would traditionally, to bend it off, but nothing happened. Lin cursed under her breath and Kya immediately sat up, concerned again.

“Will you be able to…” she let the question linger without finishing it.

“I didn’t have it on last night in bed when I was sleeping, did I?” Lin said in a frustrated tone, but winked to lighten the mood.

Kya’s face went beet red with embarrassment. “Sorry...I didn’t mean to imply.”

“It’s fine, I get it,” Lin said as she stretched her hands behind her back. “We have an emergency clamp, just in case…” Lin was struggling to reach it. “Spirits, it’s a bitch to get.” 

“Here turn around, let me help.”

“No, I’ve got it.” Lin continued to struggle.

“Lin,” Kya said firmly. “Turn around.” 

The tone of her voice shocked Lin into submission and she removed her hands from her back and turned. She could feel Kya fidgeting with the clasp and suddenly the metal chest piece gave way and opened on either side of her ribs. Kya lifted the back over Lin’s head and let the uniform fall to the ground next to them. She ran her hands up on either side of Lin’s spine until they reached her shoulders and softly ran them down her arms until she hit the top of the arm pieces. 

“Those have clasps…” but she didn’t get to finish the thought before they were being slid down her forearms. Kya pressed her breasts against Lin’s back, as she ran her fingers across her abs over the white, ribbed tank top Lin wore beneath the armor. Lin’s head rolled back and Kya made use of once again exploring her neck. “Good girl,” Kya whispered into her ear and sucked softly on her earlobe. A shudder shot down Lin’s spine as her back arched slightly with a moan. 

Kya slid her hand down and toyed with the hem of her pants, which caused Lin’s hips to buck as she released a deep sigh. Kya smiled against her cheek as she slipped her fingers just below the waistband. Lin’s breathing was becoming staggered as her chest and face flushed with lust. 

Just as she went to move further, a loud knock at the door interrupted them. Kya swiftly removed her hand from Lin’s pants as the former officer shot up in a defensive stance, eyes darting to the door, fists clenched, ready to fight. 

“Lin!” It was Tenzin. “Kya!” He exclaimed from outside as he continued banging.

“I’m going to fucking kill him.” Lin growled as Kya groaned. 

“Lin, open up! You have to come!”

Kya scrambled to find her discarded dress, but was too flustered to figure out how to get it back on. “I feel like a teenager,” Kya whispered with a giggle. 

“Yeah, well at 50-something you’d think this shit would end.” Lin rolled her eyes. “Can you hurry up? He’s bound to break the door down.”

“I’m trying!!” Kya was fumbling, trying to turn the garment inside out. 

“Lin, Kya?” Tenzin continued. “Is anyone home?”

“Oh for goodness sakes,” Lin groaned and made her way to the door. Before opening it she looked back at Kya, still naked on the couch, she’d given up trying and simply pressed the cloth against her chest in feigned modesty. Lin’s entire body blushed again at the sight, and she cracked the door open. The cold air hit her, breaking her exposed arms and chest out in goosebumps. 

“Lin! We have great news-“ Tenzin began to explain until he noticed her current state. Lin’s hair was tousled, her face flush. Her tank top clung to her breast wrapping beneath it. It had been years since Tenzin had seen her so exposed. “I’m sorry…is everything alright?”

“It’s fine, I was just... working out.” She lied between tout lips and could hear Kya choking on her own laughter, trying not to make a sound. 

“Oh, well, I…” Tenzin stumbled over his words. 

“Spill it out already, Tenzin.” Lin was losing any patience she had left for the air bender. “What’s the news?”

“It’s Korra, Lin!” Tenzin cried, recovering his train of thought. “She’s connected with the Avatar state, my father - Aang...he restored her connection with the other three elements!”

Lin was trying to process the news, shifting her attention to the new development. She felt that spark of hope reignite in her chest.

“Tenzin, does this mean?” Lin asked, her eyes widening with the realization.

“Yes, Lin.” Tenzin nodded. “She can restore your bending.” 

Lin almost threw the door open to hug him, but caught herself as she heard a soft cough. 

“Is Kya there, too? Kya!” Tenzin hollered into the room and started to push in, but Lin swiftly pushed him back out of the house. “She’s not, she went out to get...some food. I’ll let her know the good news.”

“Well don’t wait too long! Korra’s waiting for you at the temple.”

“Let me just get cleaned up and I’ll head right over.”

“I’ll see you there.” Tenzin said with a firm nod. 

Lin started to close the door, but the air bender interrupted her.

“And Lin?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for everything. You really are our hero.” With that, he turned on his heel and left the house. 

Lin closed the door and dropped her head against it with a thud. She could feel Kya’s warm hands making their way across her back in the same calming motion she had used the night before. 

When Lin turned back around to face her almost lover, she was crying. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin regains her bending and celebrates accordingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here's the more mature version of the last chapter. Enjoy!

Lin knelt before the Avatar as the bender placed her thumb to her forehead. A bright light appeared around them and Lin shut her eyes. She felt a warmth course through her veins, as if it were melting the ice placed there by Amon and circulating her blood through her body. Korra moved her hand away and Lin opened her eyes, slowly standing. She could feel it, her bond to earth was restored, closing the gaping hole that had been left in her and making her whole again. 

Lin faced the group standing at the center of the stonehenge and lifted her arms, raising every pillar. With her arms in the air she could feel the vibration of every rock, as if they were speaking to her. Welcoming their old friend. 

Lin dropped her arms and the stones set back in their rightful place and she turned to the Avatar, “Thank you.” She truly and deeply meant it. Korra bowed at her. Tenzin approached his young pupil, “I’m so proud of you, _Avatar_ Korra.” The girl beamed. 

“I believe this calls for a celebration!” Tonraq, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe and Korra’s father declared. 

The group made their way back to the Chief’s home, crowding around his table as they sat knees pressed against each other, trying to squeeze in so that everyone could have a spot. Lin strategically snagged the corner of the table, leaving Mako to her right, the Avatar sat next to him, and Asami beside her. To her left sat Tonraq and his wife, Senna, followed by Katara. Directly across from her sat Kya, then Bumi, Tenzin and Pema, and finally finishing off the table sat the young air bending children: Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo, with Bolin. Lin scanned the table and watched as the group settled into conversation over food. She thought of earlier that afternoon, how they’d all sat together silently waiting for the worst and a shudder shot down her spine. 

“You ok, Chief?” Mako asked. 

“Never better, kid.” She replied, and in that moment, she truly meant it. Lin felt a sense of calm and completeness she’d never felt before.

“I’m glad,” Mako said with a nod. “I never thanked you, by the way.”

“For what?” Lin asked, confused. 

“Breaking us out of the can,” Mako said with a laugh. 

“Don’t sweat it, the law isn’t always on the good guys’ side.” 

Mako chuckled, “I don’t know if I’ve always been considered one of the good guys.”

“You are good, Mako.” Lin said and grasped his shoulder. “I think you’d make a fine detective, if you ever wanted to try. You’ve got a keen eye and a good heart. We don’t get too many of those.”

Mako’s face lit up, “You really think so?”

“Yeah, I do. If I was still Chief, I’d put you on a beat.” 

“Will you try to get your job back, now that all this is over and you have your bending?” 

The question took her by surprise. Lin had spent the past week conceding to the fact that her career, the one thing in her life she’d dedicated herself to, was over. She hadn’t considered the possibility of returning. 

“I’ll uh...have to talk to the Council and see what they say.” 

“It’d be great to see you in uniform again,” the voice jumped in from across the table. Lin’s head shot across, but she couldn’t help the blush that had already rosied her cheeks. “You know, in your official capacity. Republic City needs their Chief Beifong.” 

“You’re quite right, Kya.” Tenzin added, joining the conversation. “I’ll talk to the Council as soon as we get back, Lin. You deserve to be Chief.” 

“Yeah, and if they won’t listen to Tenzin, they’ll have to listen to me!” Korra added. 

The room rallied around Lin’s reinstatement. Even Tenzin’s youngest, Meelo, stood on the table and announced that we would personally battle anyone who dared denounce Lin’s rightful position. But while the room clamoured about and the defenses became more ridiculously spirited, Lin could not tear her eyes away from Kya’s. The tan woman winked at her, before turning away and cheering her nephew on in his declaration. Lin swallowed a smile and looked down, masking her burning cheeks, thankful no one else was watching her. 

Or so she thought. 

As the night came to a close, the guests departed the Chief’s house to return to their respective quarters. 

Kya and Lin walked behind the group, slowly, side-by-side, arms crossed as they pushed against the frigid wind. Their shoulders bumped into each other as they moved. “Move over, earth lady.” Kya said jokingly, pushing back into Lin’s shoulder. 

“Watch it,” Lin said back, shoving into Kya a little harder. “You can’t just be bumping into the soon-to-be-reinstated Chief of Police like that, ma’am.” 

“Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?” Kya said, stopping Lin in her tracks at the suggestive tone. Kya took the opportunity and pushed Lin to the ground and into a pile of snow, and ran ahead of the group to get away.

Lin yelped as she fell, causing everyone but the running Kya to stop in their tracks and turn around. 

The children laughed at the site of Lin struggling to get out of the snow. “Well don’t just laugh! Get her back!” She yelled at them. 

“SNOWBALL FIGHT!” Meelo screeched into the air as Jinora ran to Lin and helped her up. 

“Thanks,” Lin said, dusting the snow off her now soaked jacket. Ikki and Meelo were already riding air balls, tossing snow at their fleeting aunt, who gracefully avoided every one. 

Tenzin and Pema watched the whole ordeal with delight. 

“It’s nice to see Lin and Kya enjoying themselves with the kids,” Tenzin said, laughing. 

“Hmm,” Pema said in response. “It seems Lin’s enjoying Kya’s company a lot.”

“Yes, I’m glad she had my sister through all of this,” Tenzin continued, Pema’s insinuation getting lost. “Kya has a way of relaxing people when they’re upset. When she wants to, that is.”

“Oh, I’m sure she had Lin very... _relaxed_.” Pema tried again, rolling her eyes at her clueless husband. 

Tenzin nodded, and after a moment looked down at his young wife, puzzled. “Wait, what do you mean?” 

“Oh nothing,” Pema feigned ignorance and started to walk away, enjoying letting Tenzin figure it out for himself. 

“Wait…Pema...you don’t think,” Tenzin scratched his beard, his eyes widening. He stumbled after his wife in the snow. “No! Lin? And Kya?”

“I saw the way they were looking at each other at dinner, Tenzin.”

Tenzin’s mind was reeling. “They’re just old friends! Practically sisters, they were raised together!”

“You were raised with Lin, too, but that didn’t stop you from dating her.” Pema said, frankly. “I don’t think she thinks of Kya as her sister anymore than she did you as her brother.”

Tenzin blushed at the mention of his prior relationship. “But then exactly, Lin’s not a...well...you know!” 

Pema laughed at her husband’s limited world view and shook her head. It was surprising, coming from an Air Nomad. “Tenzin, come now...don’t be so close-minded.”

“I am not-” Tenzin caught himself as he was starting to scream, not wanting to draw attention from the women. “I’ve always been supportive of Kya.” He said, defensively. 

“Great, and now you can be supportive of Kya _and_ Lin.” Pema said with a wink and walked to the house. “Children, say goodnight. It’s time for bed.” She yelled out.

“Awww, do we have to?” Ikki yelled back.

“Yes, it’s very late. Say goodnight.” 

The children said their goodbyes and marched angrily back to the house. Lin, now completely soaked, wrapped her arms around herself trying to get warm. Kya walked up to her and placed her hands on either side of her arms and pulled away as much water as she could. And then grabbed Lin to walk her home. Neither woman realized Tenzin was still watching. Shocked.

The pair walked back linked together, the cold having seeped into Lin’s bones causing her to shiver. “I can’t believe you pushed me into the snow!” Lin said through chattering teeth. 

“Don’t worry,” Kya said rubbing her hands up and down Lin’s arm. “We’ll get you nice and warmed up when we get home.” 

Lin’s breath hitched in her throat and she felt herself react. 

They finally reached Kya’s house and entered into the home. Lin peeled off her drenched boots and kicked them to the side, and then removed her damp jacket and draped it over a chair as Kya set the fire. 

“Here, come sit near the flame,” Kya waved her over. “It’ll help.”

Lin made her way over and sat down beside the water bender on the plush rug and put her cold hands up to the flames, the heat radiating against her face, drying her hair and tunic. 

Kya watched the flames dance in the reflection of Lin’s eyes, orange streaks dancing across a field of green. She felt her heart pull at the beauty of it, of her. Kya reached her hand out and stroked Lin’s cheek, soliciting a warm smile. 

“Lin?”

“Yes?” 

“Can I ask you how you’re feeling now?”

“And I was having such a nice time up until now.” Lin said with an exaggerated sigh and a roll of her eyes. She looked back at Kya and tried to keep a stern face, but the traces of a smile betrayed her. After a pause she said, “Honestly, Kya, I don’t know how to feel.” This time the sigh was natural and came with a shrug of her shoulder. “Mostly, I’m relieved.” 

“I can’t even imagine what it must have felt like losing your-”

“Yeah,” Lin said, anger bubbling. “You can’t.”

Kya sat back, shocked by the quick turn. “Lin, I didn’t mean to-”

“No,” she interrupted her. “I’m just not...good at this. It’s hard for me to...talk.”

“I understand,” Kya said nodding. “I’m sorry, I won’t ask you again.”

Lin sat in her own frustration and stared at the flames. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to share with Kya, it’s that she didn’t know how. She didn’t know how to describe her emotions without feeling weak for them, and the thought of being that vulnerable, with anyone, made her anxious. She’d rather mask them with wit or just ignore them altogether. The more she thought about it, the more she realized no one had ever really cared enough to try to understand her feelings or her inner thoughts. Even Tenzin, caring as he had been at the onset of their relationship, never pressed Lin to express herself. And in the end, that whole affair had ended miserably.

“No, I’m sorry,” Lin finally replied, turning to face Kya and grabbing her hands. “I do appreciate you, Kya...and everything these past couple of days. I can say this much, I would’ve been worse off without you. Thank you.” 

Kya squeezed Lin’s hand back and moved in slowly, pausing just inches from her face, and held her breath. Lin looked down from Kya’s eyes to her lips and back down. A wave of heat washed over her as she bit the corner of her bottom lip. Kya pressed in further until their lips touched. Kya leaned further into Lin, pushing her back onto her elbows and crawled over her, dragging her right leg between the woman’s thighs, eliciting a soft moan.

Lin bent her knees slightly and ground herself into Kya’s leg. 

“Mmm,” Kya said in a deep, sultry tone. “So eager.” She took Lin’s lower lip between her teeth and bit it softly. Lin moaned again. 

The flames roared next to them, and between the heat of the fire and her blood boiling beneath her own skin at every touch, Lin wasn’t sure she could take it. She paused their embrace and tugged on the collar of her tunic, “I think this needs to come off.” 

“I’m inclined to agree,” Kya said and slipped her hand below the material, sliding her fingers up Lin’s defined stomach as she dragged the shirt up and pulled it over her head and discarded it to the side. Kya moved back in and slid her hand across the wrappings at Lin’s chest keeping her breasts bound, found the tucked piece and unwound it. 

Kya sat back and examined the woman before her. The shadows from the flame bounced across her pale skin and breasts. Kya smiled, and quickly pulled off her own dress. The two women sat, partially exposed and devoured each other with their eyes. 

“Do you never wear wrappings?” Lin asked in earnest. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“No, they’re too constricting,” Kya said with a laugh. Her full, dark breasts were larger than Lin’s own. Lin moved in and gingerly kissed the space between them, moving up Kya’s neck, her chin, and finally reaching her mouth. She ran her tongue against it and Kya’s mouth responded, opening, their tongues intertwining softly. Lin’s hands explored Kya’s bare chest, her stomach, her back. Lin pressed her own chest against Kya, the feeling of their skin meeting set the water bender into a shudder and she ran her fingers down the pale woman’s back. Lin gently guided her down onto the rug and sat back up. She looked down at Kya and felt her own heart skip a few beats at the beauty of her. 

Lin ran her hands down her sides until reaching the only garment she had left on at her hips, and latched her thumbs in the band, dragging the cloth down her long legs and finally discarding them to the now growing pile. Kya opened her legs and raised an eyebrow at Lin with a smile. Lin smiled in response as she traced her right hand along the inner side of Kya’s leg until she reached her center. Kya’s breath hitched as Lin grazed it, teasingly. “Touch me,” Kya said, demanding more than a request. 

Lin moved her body up so that her face was above Kya’s. She came down and kissed her, and as their mouths met, Lin pressed her fingers into Kya. Kya’s legs spread further, allowing Lin to move in deeper. Lin’s fingers moved against Kya in rhythm with her rocking hips, her mouth moving from her lips, to her neck, and back again. Their pace picked up speed as Kya’s moans got louder until finally Lin felt Kya tighten around her hand, her thighs clenching together holding it in place, her nails digging into Lin’s shoulders as she climaxed. 

After a few moments, Kya’s body relaxed and she took a deep breath. Lin rolled over next to her and propped herself up on her left hand, sucking on her fingers. “Mmm,” the earth bender said, “You taste so good.” 

Kya watched the motion and felt herself react, despite still recovering. She took a deep breath and shifted her weight over, toppling Lin to the ground. Kya quickly moved down and ripped off Lin’s pants and under garments. She slid back up and straddled either side of Lin’s hips, pressing herself into Lin. 

Lin gasped at the sensation, she could feel Kya slick against her. Kya ground into Lin as she slid her hands up her sides, guiding her arms up above her head until her wrists touched and Kya pressed them into the ground as she slid against Lin, teasing her. 

“Fuck, Kya…” Lin’s breathing was staggered. Kya moved her right hand away, but kept both wrists in her left hand’s grasp above Lin’s head. 

“Hmm,” Kya said, tracing down Lin’s left arm, across her chest, and finally reaching the base of her neck. Kya wrapped her fingers around it and squeezed softly. Lin’s back arched against the pressure and came back down, her hips bucking into Kya’s. The darker woman came down so that her lips tickled against Lin’s ear, making her shudder. “You like that, don’t you Lin?” Lin moaned in approval. Kya continued, “You like it when I take control?” 

Lin was panting, her head was in a fog, the sensations were too much. “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Kya...Please…” 

Kya sat up, and stopped her grinding. Lin’s eyes shot open and she groaned at the lost friction. Kya released her grasp of Lin’s wrists. “I want you to keep your hands exactly where they are,” she said, looking directly into Lin’s smokey green eyes. Lin nodded, turning her wrists so that she could clench the shag carpeting. “Good girl,” Kya said with a smirk as she lifted herself off of Lin, but hovered above her. 

Kya made her way down slowly, kissing Lin’s face, mouth, neck. She stopped to explore her breasts, wanting to understand exactly which strokes of her tongue would make Lin moan. She continued down until she reached her center and softly tugged her legs apart and moved below them, so that Lin’s thighs rested on her shoulders. 

Kya moved in slowly, kissing and nibbling on the sides of Lin’s legs and she could feel the tight muscles twitching with every motion. Finally, Kya ran her tongue across the stretch of Lin, causing her hips to push up as Lin’s hands flew down to Kya’s head, pulling her in. Kya moved away and with a strong voice reminded her lover of her one rule: “Hands.” 

Lin’s hands flew back up and clutched onto the rug. Kya watched as her breasts lifted and fell erratically with every breath and she smiled before returning her mouth to Lin. She tasted every inch of her, her tongue exploring and swirling, continuing her quest to understand what set Lin’s body aflame. 

She finally found the sweet spot and focused her attention. Lin’s hips grinding into her as the tension built between her legs until she finally came with a gasp for air. Lin’s back arched as her thighs pressed on either side of Kya’s face, but Kya didn’t stop, lapping up every bit of it. Lin’s body finally let go as she regained her breathing. Kya moved up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and nestled into Lin. 

The two laid there silently breathing as the fire crackled next to them. Kya traced small circles over Lin’s sternum as Lin midleslly played with her hair. After a few minutes in their trance, as the fire was starting to dwindle, Kya finally broke the silence. 

“Should we get to bed?”

“I guess so,” Lin said, the sleep already in her voice. 

Kya propped herself up so that she was looking down at Lin. “Join me in mine?” 

Lin pulled Kya into a kiss, tasting herself on Kya’s lips. “Happily.” 

Kya pushed herself up off the ground and let out her hand, pulling Lin up to her. Linking their fingers, she kissed the back of the earth bender’s hand and led the way to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tenzin gets jealous and Kya tells Lin about her past relationships.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Throwing up a trigger warning here that there's some description of blood in this chapter. It's nothing graphic or overt, but I know it could upset some!

Lin stirred, she could feel the warm, bright light trying to make its way through the closed curtain. As she did, an even warmer entity wrapped her arm around Lin’s waist and pulled her into a spoon. Lin could feel Kya’s breasts press against her back, her thighs tucking in just below her, knees aligned. Her warm breath tickled the back of her neck, sending goosebumps down Lin’s arm. 

“Goodmorning,” Kya said, before placing a soft kiss at the back of Lin’s neck. 

“Morning,” Lin replied, relaxing into the other woman and sliding her arm over the one at her waist, locking their fingers. Kya pulled her in closer, resting her nose on Lin’s neck so that she could lazily kiss it whenever the mood struck. 

The two women laid there for a while in the hazy state between sleep and wake, just silently holding each other, their breathing matched, simply enjoying each other’s company. They were both exhausted. The previous days had been a harrowing experience, especially for Lin. It felt so nice to not have to think. To feel at ease. 

She felt Kya place another soft kiss on her neck and smiled to herself. It had been quite some time since she’d taken a lover, and even then she rarely allowed the level of intimacy or vulnerability she had with Kya the past forty-eight hours. After Tenzin left her, Lin swore off commitment for good. She had flings, sure, but she’d never be dependent on a person again. Never open her heart or her home and risk being disappointed and heartbroken again. And while she’d grown accustomed to being alone and didn’t seek to change it, she had to admit – at least to herself – that it felt nice being held. 

After nearly an hour of lounging in bed, Kya finally broke their silence and propped herself up so that she was looking down at Lin. “I’m getting hungry, I’m going to make some breakfast. Would you like some?”

Lin turned so that she was looking up at Kya. The sun streaks reflecting off the crescent moon choker still at her neck. The only article of clothing that hadn’t come off the night before. Lin stared at it, not having considered it much until right now, as Kya hovered over her, naked, in her bed. Lin knew enough about Water Tribe culture to know that this was a betrothal necklace. But in all her time, she never knew Kya to be married. As she stared at the necklace, puzzled, it struck her just how little she knew about her childhood friend. 

“Helloooo? Lin?” Kya asked, waving a hand in front of Lin’s face pulling her out of her thoughts. 

“Sorry,” Lin said, shutting her eyes and shaking her head. “Breakfast, yes. Thank you.” 

When Lin opened her eyes again, now it was Kya who was staring, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.“Are you ok? You looked...lost?” 

“Yes, sorry.” Lin said, but she could tell Kya wasn’t convinced. “I’m just still waking up.” She continued. 

“Ok, well I’ll brew a strong batch of tea. That’ll get us started!” Kya said, and quickly leaned into Lin, kissing her, before pulling away and walking over to her closet to pull out a long, lush blue robe. Kya wrapped herself, and then pulled out a similar, white robe and placed it on the bed. 

“It’s cold out there in the mornings” Kya said with a wink. And with that, she left the room. 

Lin stared at the spare robe, thinking again of the necklace. She quickly got up and scanned the room for proof of another person’s presence, but she found no evidence that anyone else lived with Kya. 

“This is ridiculous,” Lin thought to herself. “What are you even looking for? Clearly she lives alone. Why would she let you stay...why would she sleep with you…”

But then Lin thought of Kya’s own brother, the man she had spent the better part of twenty years with who’d had no trouble bringing another woman into their bed. And even now, nearly twenty years later, the memory of the day he left her always made Lin’s blood boil. Not because she was jealous of Pema, or even missed Tenzin, but because of the humiliation she felt. She’d been such a fool in so many ways. She’d been a fool for missing the clear signs. A fool for staying in a relationship well past its expiration date. A fool for giving herself over so completely to another person that they were able to break her heart. 

“Never again,” Lin thought, remembering the promise she made herself all those years ago. 

Lin left the robe on the bed and sprinted down the hall to the guest room, freshened up, and put on her uniform. She relished in being able to once again bend the metal armor around her body. When she lost her bending, she could feel the weight of the heavy, cold, metallic suit. It felt like a burden to wear it, as if a punishment for her own failures. But now, it was as if it sung against her skin, welcoming her back with soft vibrations. Lin felt stronger in her uniform, she felt protected again. 

She took a deep breath and walked back down the hall toward the dining room. 

Kya was setting the table, still in her robe, as Lin entered and sat down. 

“Oh! You really woke up, didn’t you?” Kya laughed. “I wasn’t expecting you’d be...that dressed.”

Lin blushed, “I just...figured since I could...you know.” Lin bent her arm bands off and back onto her body, demonstrating exactly what she meant. 

“Fair enough,” Kya smiled. “How are you feeling?” 

Lin paused. She wasn’t entirely sure how she was feeling. While in bed, she felt more at ease than she had in a very long time. But since then, she’d grown tense and a pit had formed at the bottom of her stomach. She stared at Kya, her necklace again catching Lin’s eye, and she felt the pit turn over. Uneasy. That’s how Lin felt, but she didn’t know why the necklace was having such an effect on her. Maybe it was just best if she asked her about it…

Kya could see Lin’s eyes darting from her own down and back up. Something was bothering her, but Kya didn’t want to press the issue. They’d had such a lovely night, Kya just wanted to keep the energy light and bright. Keep it simple. 

“Kya, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, anything!”

“Out of curiosity-“ but before she was able to finish her sentence, there was a knock at the door. Lin groaned and rolled her eyes. 

“Who is it?” Kya called out to their mystery guest. 

“Kya, it’s me, Tenzin.”

“Spirits, he really has the worst fucking timing,” Lin whispered to Kya, causing her to chuckle. “I’ll let him in.”

“What do you want, Tenzin?” Lin said, yanking the door open. 

“Oh, Lin, hello,” Tenzin replied surprised. Lin noted the tone and squinted her eyes, as if to better analyze the air bender. 

“Do you always knock on doors and then just keep people waiting?” Lin said, exasperated. 

“No, I’m sorry, may I come in?”

Lin moved aside and let Tenzin into the house. Her eyes followed him as he entered and it was only then that she realized the state of the room. Hers and Kya’s clothes were still strewn about the living room in front of the fireplace, the rug even had an imprint of where they’d laid by the fire. Lin saw Tenzin’s eyes scan across the discarded clothes and a blush crept up his neck, through his face until even the tips of his ears were red. Lin could feel her own face flush, she felt like a teenager getting caught by a parent. 

Tenzin’s mind was reeling. He couldn’t believe Pema was right. He felt so flustered, he didn’t know what to do or say. An unfamiliar pang crept across his chest and he knew he needed to leave. Just then, his sister came in from the kitchen. Her hair was pulled up in a disheveled ponytail, she had on a robe, and cupped a mug of tea. She looked as though she had just rolled out of bed. He looked back at Lin, who was fully dressed. Maybe it wasn’t what it seemed? Tenzin just looked back-and-forth between the two women, as if their images would give something away. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake already, Tenzin!” Lin finally cut in. “What is it?!”

Tenzin blushed so hard, that this time it flushed past his ears to the point that his whole head was red, save his blue arrow tattoo. “I - uh. Well, I was - uh - well.”

“We’ll be here all day, at this rate.” Lin sighed, crossing her arms and cocking her head. Kya laughed. She could tell her brother was truly flustered, trying to process what was happening. It was amusing watching him put it together. And then all at once, figure it out. 

Tenzin finally turned to face his sister, but there was no humor in his expression. “Did you… _ sleep _ ...with Lin?” 

“You remember I’m standing here, right?” Lin asked, stomping her foot so that the earth shook beneath them softly, but Tenzin didn’t look at her. He kept his eyes on his sister. Something in their expression changed. The amusement Kya briefly felt faded quickly as his cool grey eyes turned dark. Was Tenzin...angry with her? 

“Yes.” Kya said it plainly. While normally she’d go out of her way to pick on her youngest brother, there was something in his state that made her proceed with caution. 

Lin noticed the shift, too, and it immediately pissed her off. “Tenzin, this really isn’t any of your business.” 

Tenzin turned to face her, his face was still red but it wasn’t from blushing anymore. His breath quickened. “Yes, it is,” he said, sternly, switching between looking at Kya and Lin. “How could you?” 

Lin felt her blood boil. “You have a lot of fucking nerve, Tenzin. Are you seriously angry about this?” 

“You’re my sister,” he was only facing Kya again. 

“Tenzin, I didn’t think-” She started, but couldn’t finish.

“Of course you didn’t,” he interrupted. “You never think of anyone but yourself.” Tenzin turned to leave, but Lin was blocking the door. “Lin, please let me out.” 

“No.”

“Lin.”

“Fuck you, Tenzin.” She spat, glancing over to Kya who was visibly upset. Seeing her nearly in tears made her even angrier. “You don’t get to walk in here and question us. You can’t speak to Kya like this, in her own home. Who do you think you are?”

“Lin, this isn’t you, she clearly-“

But this time Lin cut him off before he could finish. “She clearly what, Tenzin? Seduced me? Get over yourself. I’m a big girl, I knew what I was doing and I wanted to do it.”

Tenzin hissed.

“Are you... jealous?” Lin asked, genuinely shocked.

Tenzin’s face was nearly purple from the blood rushing through it. “No, I...it’s not…I just…” he didn’t know what to say, because the truth was that she was correct. He was jealous.

“That ship sailed a long time ago, Tenzin,  _ you _ saw to that. So how dare you come in here like you have some claim to me. You don’t even know me anymore. Fuck you. You say Kya’s the selfish one? If I remember correctly, it was you who cheated, and it was you who left me. So how about you apologize and get the fuck out.”

“Lin, I-“

“Apologize. Not to me, to Kya. Now.”

Tenzin turned back to his sister. Her pale blue eyes shimmered with the threat of tears. 

“I’m sorry... Kya.” It was an awkward apology and his eyes dropped before he could say her name. He heard the door open and made no effort to look at either woman before walking back out into the cold. 

Lin slammed the door behind him. Her heart was pounding in her chest, she was so angry. She looked back at Kya, who was wiping the unfallen tears from her eyes.

“I can’t believe he had the audacity to call you selfish,” Lin said, her voice low and hoarse. 

“Your breakfast is probably cold now, I’m sorry.” Kya said, turning around and walking back into the kitchen. The quick deflection caught Lin off guard. That was normally her game. 

Lin followed behind Kya and grabbed her hand, stopping her. “Hey, are you ok?”

“I’m fine, Lin,” Kya said, softly pulling her hand away. “Thank you, for handling that.”

“Kya, I’m better at this game than you are. Don’t make me interrogate you.”

Kya smiled softly and sighed. “Why don’t you sit down? I’ll warm your porridge back up.”

Lin sat and waited as patiently as she could for Kya to return with their bowls. When she finally did, she sat perpendicular to Lin so she could face her but still have a little distance. She took a deep breath before speaking.

“You remember when I left at eighteen?”

“Yeah, you went to travel around the world?”

“It didn’t start that way.” Kya took another deep breath. “My first year abroad, I was solely meant to study water bending with the Northern Water Tribe. But there, I met this woman, Ying Yue. Her mother had been a handmaiden to Princess Yue, of the Northern Water Tribe and the moon spirit. We fell in love.” Kya paused and looked up at Lin, her eyes were wet again. Lin nodded, encouraging her to continue. “She gave me this necklace.” Kya said, touching her fingers to the choker at the base of her neck, caressing the blue crystal. “Normally, a betrothal necklace has a full moon and an engraving within it. Ours was a crescent moon because we couldn’t get married, but we made a commitment to each other. We promised to live out our lives together in the north.” 

Lin could feel that pit forming again. “Where is Ying Yue now?” She asked. 

“She was killed.” Kya said, tears now streaming down her face. 

“Kya, I’m...I’m so sorry.” Lin was never good with emotions, but she did feel horribly for her friend. How did she not know any of this? “How did it happen?”

“We went on a trip to visit some friends in Ba Sing Se, we stayed in the outer ring. I slept in that morning and she went out to get some food. Some thugs tried to rob her and she fought them off… they-” Kya choked on a sob. Lin moved closer and gently placed her hand on Kya’s shoulder and gave it a tender squeeze, the best she could do to comfort. 

“Hey, it’s ok. You don’t have to finish, I can guess.”

“I’m sorry,” Kya said, trying to balance her breathing through sobs. 

“You don’t have to apologize.” 

“They left her there, Lin” Kya was able to manage. “They left her there to bleed out. A market vendor saw her and picked her up. She must have told him where we were staying because he carried her home to me...I’ll never forget that image.” Kya said with a shudder, closing her eyes. “Opening the door and seeing this man I didn’t know covered in her blood. Her body limp in his arms. I tried to heal her. I tried and I tried, but she’d lost so much…” Kya opened her glistening eyes and stared absently into the distance. Lin didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. After a few minutes, as if coming out of her trance, Kya turned back to face her. 

“I know what it feels like.”

“Like what feels like?” 

“To lose everything. To feel like you’ve utterly failed. Last night, you said I didn’t know what it felt like. I didn’t lose my bending, but I may as well have. It was useless at that moment and I failed her. She died in my arms that night and I’ve never felt so empty in my life. I do understand.” 

Lin blushed, embarrassed by what she had said in anger. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“No, don’t be sorry.” Kya cut her off. “I don’t say that to make you feel guilty. I just want you to know I do understand. You’re not alone.” 

Lin’s hand slid down to Kya’s and she squeezed it. 

Kya continued, “After she died, I was a wreck. An empty, angry vessel. I kept having nightmares, like the ones you had. I couldn’t get the image of the bloody vendor at my door out of my mind. So I ran away. I ran away from my family, and my friends, and myself. I travelled anywhere and everywhere, I slept with anyone trying to find her in them. But I couldn’t, and it always made the void in my heart grow bigger.” 

“How did you…”

“My dad died.”

“Oh.” It wasn’t the answer Lin was expecting and her shock made Kya laugh.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize how that sounded until after I said it.” 

“Just a little morbid...”

“I hadn’t seen my family since that summer when I left to go up north. We’d always planned on coming back to Air Temple Island, but the timing never worked out. After she died, I avoided them completely. It’s why Tenzin thinks I’m selfish. He thinks I should’ve been there while Dad was sick, and for Mom. He didn’t know...how lost I was. They all held it against me. I think even Dad resented me for abandoning everyone and it’s my biggest regret. I never got to see him, to say goodbye… After he died, I came back for the funeral.”

“That’s right, it was the first time I had seen you in nearly twenty years.”

“Right.” Kya said with a nod. “I think my dad’s death in a strange way countered Ying Yue’s. Being back home, with my family, my mom...I felt whole for the first time in fifteen years. When my mom said she was going to move down South to be with Uncle Sokka and family, I knew that’s where I belonged and I came down with her. To take care of her as much as for her to take care of me.”

“You’re lucky to have a mom like Katara.” 

“I am. But it’s why I tried pressing you to talk about it – I did want that darkness to consume you. I know what happens when you don’t process the trauma.” 

“We Beifongs aren’t really...great at talking about it. My mom’s no Katara,” Lin said with a snort. 

“I know Toph was tough, I’m sorry. If she raised you and Su in the same way she taught my dad earth bending…” Kya laughed and Lin joined her. 

Lin looked at Kya’s necklace again, the pang in her stomach from earlier now gone. 

Kya caught her staring, “What were you going to ask me earlier? Was it about the necklace?”

“It was, admittedly,” Lin blushed, caught. “I wanted to make sure there wasn’t…”

“I would never,” Kya said, adamantly. 

“Yeah, well, I never thought your brother would and well…” Lin’s eyebrows lifted and her eyes shifted to the floor. 

Kya sighed and placed her free, right hand over Lin’s, which was still over her left. “I couldn’t believe he did that to you.” 

“Yeah, well…” Lin shrugged. “I don’t have a lot of faith in people, let’s put it that way.” 

“Have you...been with anyone, since Tenzin?” Kya asked, hesitantly. 

“Nothing long term,” Lin said with a shrug. “I gave up on that concept. I’ve had some men come through, even more women, but nothing serious. How about you? Since Ying Yue?”

“Before Dad passed there were a slew of women. I don’t even remember half of them, none of them mattered. When I finally moved down here there was someone for a little while, but it didn’t work out.”

“Why not?”

“Honestly? I didn’t love her. I’ve yet to find the kind of love I felt. And the more I tried to make it work – the more I forced it – the guiltier I felt. As if I were betraying Ying Yue and what we had with this farce of a relationship. So I ended it.”

“Eh, commitment’s overrated anyway.” Lin said with a wink. “It’s more fun when there’s no strings attached.” 

Kya rubbed small circles with her thumb over the back of Lin’s hand. “Agreed.” 

The two women moved in closer until they closed the gap between them and their lips met. 

“It’s much more fun.” Kya repeated, as they pulled away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long. I wrote and re-wrote this three times in three different directions, but I'm really happy with where I landed in the end. I hope you all enjoyed it, too :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara helps Tenzin process his jealousy; Lin and Kya celebrate before Lin heads back to Republic City.

Tenzin sulked back to his mother’s home, head hung low. A mix of shame, anger, and dare he admit it, heartbreak, swirled in his chest. He reached the door and took a deep breath, he needed to compose himself before facing Pema. Tenzin opened the door and was surprised to find the home silent and still. 

“Hello?” Tenzin called out. 

“Oh, Tenzin,” his mother’s voice called back from the kitchen, “you’re home! Come, I’ve made some tea.”

Tenzin crossed the entryway into the dining room where Katara was already sitting, pouring him a mug. 

“Where are Pema, and the children?”

“Korra invited the children to go to the training compound with her. Pema went to supervise. I think she was relieved they’d let out some excess energy” Katara said with a laugh. “Bumi’s off somewhere, being Bumi.”

“Of course he is.” Tenzin said as he sat at the table and crossed his legs. He let out a deep sigh and dropped his head into his hands. 

“Oh Tenzin, what’s the matter?” Katara asked, putting down the tea pot and inching closer to her youngest son so that she could place her hand on his arm and get a good look at him. Tenzin lifted his head. His eyes were red, but there were no tears. His eyebrows creased together tightly above the bridge of his nose as the ends lifted, creating ripples throughout his forehead. 

“Kya...and Lin…they’re...together?” Tenzin was still puzzled by the whole situation.

“Oh,” Katara said, unsurprised. 

Tenzin looked up, even more confused by his mother’s reaction than the events themselves. “What do you mean ‘oh’? Did you know?” 

“Well, not explicitly. They hadn’t told me. But I did see the way they looked at each other the other night at the feast, and well, a mother’s intuition...”

“Pema saw it too, but I didn’t want to believe her.”

Katara watched her son, his jaw twitched with tension. His cool grey eyes turned away from her.

“Tenzin, why has their relationship upset you so much?”

“Kya’s selfishness has no bounds, does it? How could she...with Lin! Of all women!” 

Katara sighed, “Now Tenzin, don’t call your sister selfish, she’s not selfish.”

“Kya ran away and deserted us for most of her life! How is that not selfish?”

“Tenzin, there’s a lot about your sister’s life that you don’t know. That none of us knew. Your sister suffered greatly. We shouldn’t hold the way she handled it against her.”

Tenzin stared at his mother. “What do you mean?” 

“It’s not my story to tell, but I can tell you this much: your sister was hurting then, but she cares about us very much. She is not a selfish person.”

“I just don’t understand why she had to…” Tenzin blushed. Broaching the topic of sex with his mother wasn’t necessarily something he did often. “With Lin!” 

Katara could see what was really happening: her son was jealous of his sister. 

“Tenzin, do you still have feelings for Lin?” Katara asked, softly.

“NO!” Tenzin snapped, barely letting her finish. But his mother simply stared at him unflinching at his defensiveness. “I don’t know, Mother. Lin was...my first love. I believe a part of me will always love her...and always feel guilty for the way that I…”

“It wasn’t your finest moment.”

“I know,” Tenzin said, turning a deep red with shame. “I’m not proud. I hurt her terribly.”

“Do you regret it?”

“I regret the way I handled it,” he said with a momentary pause. “But I don’t ultimately regret it. I love Pema, our family, the children. Lin and I weren’t...happy. We were growing apart, we had been, for quite some time.”

“Then why aren’t you happy for her now? If she and your sister could be happy, why not support them?”

Tenzin thought about this for a moment. He meant what he said, he ultimately didn’t regret his life with Pema. He knew he and Lin would’ve ended eventually, but something was still bothering him about the whole ordeal. 

“Was it all a lie?” Tenzin asked, solemnly, though he knew he was asking the wrong person. 

“Was what a lie, my son?” Katara asked, confused.

“Our relationship. Was the reason it didn’t work because...she was...the whole time?”

“That I cannot answer for Lin, but for what it’s worth, I don’t think it was. I remember the look on Lin’s face the day she came to Air Temple Island after you told her. She was heartbroken.”

Tenzin shuddered at the memory and the thought of causing Lin pain. Another, more recent memory infiltrated his mind. The day the equalists invaded the island, their airships closing in on them, his family, flying away on Oogie’s back. Tenzin remembered the look on Lin’s face before she took flight to try to buy them time.

“She sacrificed herself for us, you know. When the Equalists came after my family, she sacrificed herself so that we could get away. It’s how Amon got her, how he was able to take her bending.”

“You see?” Katara said, running her hand up and down his arm reassuringly. “What happened between you and Lin, it’s unfortunate. But just as you’ve moved on and found happiness, she deserves that as well.”

“You’re right, Mother.” Tenzin said as he squeezed the warm hand on his arm. “Thank you.”

__________

Later that evening, another feast was held, this time to bid the Avatar and her Republic City guests farewell. This time, instead of cramming into Chief Tonraq’s home, the head of the Southern Water Tribe invited his guests to a local tavern. 

Kya opened the door for Lin, and the pair entered the party. The space was large and open. Directly in front of them was a dance floor, with a small stage behind it where a live band played soft music suitable for dinner. On either side of the dance floor were long, log tables. To the far left, at the end of the room was an open bar. 

Lin scanned the room for an open table. Her eyes caught motion coming from the right of the room. It was Tenzin, waving them down. Lin growled and grabbed Kya by the hand. “Come on, I need a drink.” She said as she tugged Kya away from the air bender and toward the open bar. 

The women got their drinks and found two seats close to the bar. “Easier for refills,” Kya said with a wink as the pair sat down next to each other. Their table was made up by an assortment of Southern Water Tribe people instead of the usual gang. 

“Quite the party Tonraq’s thrown here,” Lin said as she summed up each of the unfamiliar faces in the room. 

“I think he’s making up for not giving Korra a proper farewell before she left for Republic City, since she took it upon herself to leave.”

“She knew how to make an entrance, though, I’ll tell you that. We arrested her within hours of her arrival to Republic City.”

“Did you really?” Kya asked with a laugh. 

“She’s been a headache ever since,” Lin said with a smirk. “It’s that Water Tribe spirit. You’re all incorrigible.”

“Some find it charming,” the water bender said with a wink.

“Some,” Lin said smiling back. 

Chief Tonraq took to the stage and made a small speech. He thanked the many guests who had come to celebrate his daughter and wished her luck in her journey as the Avatar as she officially made the move to Air Temple Island. When he was done speaking, dinner was rolled out on carts onto the dance floor, allowing the guests to pick at the buffet at their leisure. 

Kya and Lin made their way over, only to find Tenzin, Pema and the children in front of them in line. Lin scowled, but swallowed the exasperated groan in her throat when Kya elbowed her gently in the side. 

“Ladies,” Tenzin said with a nod, which Lin matched silently. 

“Tenzin,” Kya replied with a forced smile.

Pema noticed the tension immediately between the three. 

As the group reached the stations, Kya and Lin quickly split off to the left so they didn’t have to wait behind the family. They filled their plates and walked back to their table. Once out of earshot, Pema questioned her husband. “What happened between you?” 

“Nothing!” Tenzin said, immediately blushing, giving him away. “What makes you think-”

“Tenzin, you’re a terrible liar. I’ve never seen Kya so cold with you. Mean, sure, but cold? Never.”

“You were right, about them being.. _.together, _ ” Tenzin said, whispering the word as he scanned the room to see who was close by, not wanting anyone to overhear. 

“I knew it!” Pema said, her face lighting up. “How do you know for sure?”

“I went over there this morning, to discuss the preparations for tomorrow. They told me.”

Pema looked at her husband, puzzled. “They...just told you? That’s an odd thing to just say?”

“Well, their clothing from last night was...and so I...asked.” Tenzin was blushing harder than before, he was sure his face was going to remain a permanent state of rose after the past twelve hours. 

“You asked?! No wonder they’re so upset with you! Tenzin!” Pema squealed, smacking her husband's arm. “That’s so rude! You have to apologize!”

Tenzin dropped his head, knowing very well that while she may not have had the full story, his wife was right. “I know, I will.” 

Kya and Lin ate their dinner in relative silence. Listening to the conversations around them and the music coming from the band. The awkwardness of the situation with Tenzin lingering above both their heads. 

As they finished the last of the food, it was finally Kya who broke the silence. 

“So, Chief Beifong, what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home tomorrow?”

“Don’t call me Chief yet, technically that title’s still revoked,” Lin said as she took a sip of her whiskey. “Well, realistically I’ll go home and do laundry.” 

“Riveting,” Kya said with a laugh. 

“Oh yeah, it’s an exciting life I lead,” Lin said, smirking as she took another sip.

“But seriously, you will go talk to the Council about having your position reinstated, right?”

“Well, as of right now, your brother’s basically all that’s left of the Council. And the way things are looking…”

“Oh. True.” Kya replied, the silence taking over once again. 

Almost as if on cue, the band picked up tempo and the music got livelier. The carts were rolled off the dance floor and the space opened up to allow for people to make their way over. Jinora and Ikki immediately sprinted over to the pair, eyes wide with excitement. 

“Auntie Kya! Auntie Kya! Come dance with us!” Ikki said, grabbing onto her right hand.

“Come on, come on! Please!” Jinora pleaded as she tugged on her left. 

Kya laughed and started to stand, “Lin, are you coming?” 

“No,” Lin said sternly. “I do not...dance.” And with that the earth bender sat back in her chair, firmly planting her feet on the ground, and crossed her arms at her chest. 

The girls pulled their aunt until they were dead center of the dance floor and all three were moving with the music. Lin couldn’t take her eyes off of Kya. The way her hips swayed back and forth to the rhythm made Lin’s heart skip a beat. She was so enraptured by the sight of watching Kya dance, she hadn’t noticed Tenzin had taken his sister’s seat next to her. 

“Hi. Lin.” Tenzin said, awkwardly, breaking her from the spell causing her to jump slightly in her seat. 

“What do you want, Tenzin.” She let her eyes shift to his quickly before darting them back to Kya.

“Lin, I want to apologize for the way I acted this morning. You were right, it was not my place and I am sorry for the way I reacted.” 

Lin quietly considered his words, her stare never breaking from Kya’s body. 

Finally, after a pregnant pause, she turned to him. “Were you really jealous?”

“Yes,” Tenzin admitted. 

“Why?”

Tenzin quickly realized he wasn’t getting out of this without an interrogation, and knew it was easier just to be honest. 

“Pema knew-”

“And that made you jealous? How did she even?”

“No, no, well I don’t know how she knew. She said she saw you and Kya, looking at each other. My mother saw it too.”

“Oh spirits, does everyone in this forsaken ice village know about my sex life? This is worse than Republic City!” Lin said, throwing back the last of her whiskey. 

Tenzin couldn’t help but laugh. 

“It’s not funny, Tenzin. What I do is no one’s business but-”

“Lin, I know, I’m sorry,” he said as he tried to stifle his laughter with a deep breath before continuing, “I was jealous because, well, I think I felt insecure.”

This time it was Lin’s turn to laugh. “About what?”

“Well…” Tenzin paused and scanned the room for the second time that night to see who was nearby. Once he was sure no one was listening, he continued. “Well, in our relationship, well towards the end of it, at least, when it became... constant arguing. I guess seeing you with Kya just made me wonder if that was why? And if she was able to...in a way I couldn’t?”

“Oh,” Lin’s eyes widened and she looked down at her glass, saddened to find the contents depleted. She sighed and looked back at Tenzin. “That wasn’t why we didn’t work, Tenzin. We didn’t work because  _ we _ didn’t work. We were young when we started, we didn’t know who we were yet. We grew apart. It happens. Most people just end it instead of fucking their students to get out of it.” 

Tenzin went to protest, but Lin merely winked letting him know it was in jest. 

“I am sorry, Lin, for the way I handled that. It was wrong, you deserved better.”

“That I did,” she said and shook her empty glass at him. “But it’s done now, it’s been done for a long time. Don’t sweat it. Just don’t meddle in my life again, got it?” 

“Got it.” Tenzin said with a nod. 

Lin’s stare went back to the dance floor. 

“I am happy for you two, though. You make a great couple. I think Kya will be great for you.” 

Lin’s head snapped back, “We’re not a couple.” 

“Oh-I thought…” Tenzin stumbled over his words, unsure of what to say. “I’m sorry.”

“We’re just...enjoying ourselves.” Lin said, a little too forcefully. 

“Yes. Right.” 

Just then the band shifted gears and the music slowed down. Lin looked over and saw Ikki and Jinora run back to their mother’s table just as a man approached Kya, offering his hand out for a dance. Kya waved the man off and tried to walk away, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward him. Lin could make out his lips saying, “Come on, just one dance?” And she felt her entire body get hot with anger. Tenzin saw it too and immediately stood up to go defend his sister. 

“I’ve got this, Tenzin,” Lin said as she was already walking toward the pair. 

“That you do,” the air bender said under his breath with a small smile. 

Lin was quick to move between the offender and Kya. “Back off, buddy,” Lin said, pushing her chest against his so that he had to back down. She laid her left hand out behind her back so that Kya could take it. “She’s with me.” 

At first the man was going to protest, but the look in Lin’s eye could ward off even the angriest of spirits. “Sorry.” the man mumbled as he scurried away. 

Lin lifted her arm so that as she turned, Kya spun around until they were both facing each other. Lin’s right hand swiftly made its way to the small of Kya’s back, pulling her in close. Kya’s right hand landed gently on Lin’s shoulder. The water bender smiled brightly, her crystal blue eyes shimmered with the lights flashing across the floor. 

“I thought you didn’t dance?”

“Only when it’s a rescue mission.” 

Lin spun Kya around again, pulling her in even closer so that their noses were just barely touching. 

“I’ll be sure to remember that.” Kya said with a sly smile. Lin felt another wave of heat wash over her. “What did my brother say? I saw you both talking.”

“He apologized for being such a dick.” 

“Good.”

The two women chuckled softly as they continued to sway across the floor. The song melted into another slow tune and the emcee announced that this was the last song of the night. 

Lin dropped Kya’s left hand and wrapped both her arms around her waist and Kya locked her hands behind Lin’s neck. Their foreheads touched as they continued their dance, their eyes closed. 

“I’m going to miss you,” Kya whispered softly. 

“I’m going to miss you, too.” Lin replied and gently brushed her lips against Kya’s. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to do the canon thing I was debating in chapter 1, so next chapter we'll start to go into Book 2 :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin and Kya correspond over the six months between book 1-book 2 via snail mail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ _I don't want anybody else, when I think about you I touch myself..._

Lin reviewed the report on her desk. It detailed the bust of another triad group that had sprung up and was organizing the movement and sale of counterfeit goods. Lin growled to herself. No matter how many times the Republic City police broke them up, their roots ran deep under the city and sprang up new groups like wild bamboo. 

Lin picked up the manila folder off her desk, preparing to file away the report, and noticed a small, white envelope below it, sealed in a rich blue wax stamped down with one of the elements: water. Lin felt her heart skip a beat, she didn’t even need to turn the envelope over to see the sender, she knew it was from Kya. Lin slid her finger below the seal and pulled the wax off and quickly opened the letter.

> _ Dear Lin,  _
> 
> _ I hope you made it back to Republic City safely. And that your laundry’s now all done.  _
> 
> _ Tenzin wrote and said the Council’s been dissolved and a president was elected. I hope this bodes well for Republic City, even if it means my brother’s out of a job. Bumi’s living on Air Temple Island now with him and Korra, so between the two of them I’m sure he has his hands full.  _
> 
> _ Speaking of which, Tenzin also mentioned you were officially reinstated in your rightful place as Chief - congratulations! I’m glad your uniform gets to see you in action, though I’m heartbroken that I can’t.  _
> 
> _ I’ve always had a bit of a thing for women in uniform.  _
> 
> _ Sincerely, _ _  
>  _ _ Kya _

Lin felt her cheeks burn as her lips curled upward in a smile. She quickly opened her desk and pulled out her own stationary and wasted no time in crafting her reply. 

> _ Kya,  _
> 
> _ You’ll be glad to know my laundry and I both find ourselves well in Republic City. I hope you’re also well.  _
> 
> _ The new President’s name is Raiko - though the jury’s still out on that one. I can’t decide what I make of him yet. I will say, since he’s taken office we’ve had no shortage of crime, so that’s at least keeping me busy. I’ve also officially hired Mako on the force - he’s doing well and he’s got great potential.  _
> 
> _ Thank you for the congrats. If you ever make your way back to Republic City, I’ll be sure to take you for a ride along and you can see me in full action. _
> 
> _ Best, _ _  
>  _ _ Lin  _

Kya read the note over for a third time, impressed by Lin’s innuendo. She also noticed Lin had included her personal address in the return on the envelope. 

> _ Dear Lin,  _
> 
> _ I guess I’ll have to start planning my trip back north if a ride along is promised. And if I’m really lucky, maybe I’ll even get to see you arrest one of those criminals. It sounds so exciting. I’d love to see you wrapping someone up with your metal tethers, throw them in the back of the car as you take them in and lock them up. Then there’s the interrogation, of course.  _
> 
> _ Oh yes, I’d very much love to watch you work, Chief.  _
> 
> _ Yours,  _ _  
>  _ _ Kya  _

Lin squirmed on her couch as she read the letter from Kya, this time sent to her personal residence. Lin was relieved she’d noticed it, because she knew she would not have been able to recover and face her men had she read this in the office. 

Her chest was hot with lust for a woman so far away. It had been three months since she’d left the South Pole, but she hadn’t stopped thinking of her nights with Kya. The way Kya’s full lips sucked on her neck, her breasts,  _ everything _ . The way she’d expertly learned where to touch Lin to make her back arch. 

Lin read the letter over again, but this time she let her right hand wander between her own legs to release the pressure building at the thought of Kya. She slipped her hands below the waistband of her sweats, teasing herself over the cloth separating her from her own center. Lin read the letter again, imagining herself doing everything Kya described, only it wasn’t a common triad criminal she was tying up, but the water bender. She pictured Kya, metal wrapped around her wrists holding them together, as Lin had her way with her. 

The thought threw her over the edge with a shudder and Lin gave into the lust. Her hand slipped below her underwear and she swiftly slid a finger in, pressing and rubbing her palm against herself, before adding a second finger. Lin’s vision blurred and she could no longer focus on the words. Her head rolled back against the couch as her hand moved quickly until she finally came. 

Lin shot up with a fright and looked around, as if she’d been caught, and she blushed, embarrassed by her own desire. 

She scanned the letter again, but this time her eyes landed on the signature. She’d been so focused on the body of the note, she hadn’t even noticed it read:

> _ Yours,  _
> 
> _ Kya _

Lin felt her chest get warm as her heart rate picked up pace. What exactly did Kya mean by, “Yours?” They’d already agreed, it was just casual between them. Surely Kya wasn’t implying something more than just their flirtation? Was she? 

And yet, while the promise she made to herself when Tenzin left echoed in the recesses of her mind, in her heart, Lin hoped she did mean it. She missed Kya, truly and utterly. It wasn’t just the sex, she longed for her company. They’d only been together for a few days while Lin was in the south, but in that short time Kya had made her feel more at ease than she had in five decades.

But at the same time, she  _ was _ fifty-one years old. “You have no business being in a relationship at this rate,” Lin thought to herself. Besides, Kya lived on the other side of the world. It could never work, and getting her hopes up would just end in her getting hurt. Again. By another one of Avatar Aang’s kids. 

The more Lin thought about it, the more anxious it made her. “Dammit, Kya.” She cursed and hid the letter in a drawer. Unsure of how to reply, Lin let the note sit dormant. 

___  
  


A month had passed and Kya still had not received a reply. She knew it took some time for the letters to travel, but she was sure if Lin had sent a reply, she would have received it by now. Kya pondered the possibilities. 

For starters, it was possible she had miswritten the address and the letter had gone off and been delivered to another person’s home entirely?

Or, perhaps, Lin had received the letter and sent a reply, but it got lost in the mail?

Or, maybe Kya had misread the tone of Lin’s previous letter? Maybe she had sincerely offered her a visit, and Kya’s reply had turned her off. Maybe now that she was home, she realized she didn’t want or need Kya. 

This final option left Kya’s heart feeling pierced by little daggers. Despite their agreement to keep it casual, Kya knew that her feelings for Lin had grown deeply in the short amount of time they’d spent together. She felt a longing in her heart for Lin that she hadn’t felt since Ying Yue.

Kya pulled out another piece of paper and an envelope and wrote the Chief of Police another note. This time, she was sure to address it to the station. 

___

  
Lin closed the door on the interrogation room and wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. She walked down the hall to the next door and opened it, revealing a two way mirror that offered views into the room she had just exited. 

“What do you think?” Lin asked the officer who sat facing the trick glass. 

“One more session, Chief, and he’s sure to crack. We already have his accomplice down the hall singing like a canary toad. If you use that against him, I’m sure he’ll give.”

“Good - get me everything that good-for-nothing son-of-a-bitch is saying so I can review before I go back in.”

“Got it, boss.”

The man stood and crossed the room to exit, but stopped himself just before he left. 

“A letter came for you, by the way, Chief. It’s on the table,” the man said, pointing at the metal piece against the wall. And with that, he left Lin alone in the room. 

Lin eyed the envelope and knew what it was before she even approached it. Her heart was racing, she’d meant to reply to Kya, but didn’t know what to say. Which tone to follow. So she never replied.

She took the chair the officer had just been sitting in and spun it away from the glass so her back was to the pane. She took a deep breath and broke the seal.   


> _ Dear Lin,  _
> 
> _ I hope you’re doing well!  _
> 
> _ I’m not sure if you got my last letter, though it’s possible I missent it to the wrong address. You didn’t miss much, just me sharing my excitement in getting to spend a day in the life of Chief Beifong.  _
> 
> _ I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but we’re having our annual Glacier Spirits Festival next month for the winter solstice. It’s a great event, we have a big fair, and a show. Chief Unalaq of the Northern Water Tribe is coming this year. As are Tenzin, Bumi, Pema and the kids, Korra and her gang. I hope I’m writing this ahead of Mako asking for the time off, just so you can give him a hard time and get a chuckle out of it.  _
> 
> _ If you can also take the time, I’d love to host you again so you can attend the festival. I think you’d really enjoy it!  _
> 
> _ Sincerely, _ _  
>  _ _ Kya  
>    
>  _

Lin laughed - Kya did know her well. The letter came just a few days late of Mako requesting the time off, but she had already given him a hard time about it. 

“Oh, you think you can get special vacation time because you’re dating the Avatar, don’t you, Rookie?”

It had been so fun to see him flounder. 

Lin thought back to the previous letter and compared them. This one held no implied sexual tone, and the signature had moved away from the personal. But now Kya was inviting her back to visit, to attend the festival. And as much as she wanted to take her up on the offer, the winter solstice always meant big events in Republic City as well. A mecca of cultures, Northern and Southern Water Tribes people would be hosting their own celebrations. Lin would need to stay in town in case anything got out of hand.   
  


> _ Kya, _
> 
> _ I did receive your last letter, I’m sorry I didn’t reply. I was busy and forgot to write back.  _
> 
> _ You know me so well, I did give Mako a hard time. You should’ve seen the look on his face as he stuttered to try to figure out what to do with my initial reply. What a hoot!  _
> 
> _ I’d really love to come visit again, but unfortunately I’ll have to stay here to make sure local celebrations don’t get out of hand. People have a knack for going a little crazy whenever there’s a reason to celebrate, which means we’re always our busiest.  _
> 
> _ Maybe we can plan another trip once things quiet down?  _
> 
> _ Respectfully, _ _  
>  _ _ Lin _

Kya tore the letter open as soon as she saw it in her pile of mail and felt her nerves calm slightly. The guests would be arriving in a few days for the celebration, and her heart dropped as she read that Lin would not be among them. It also hurt her that she’d not replied to her previous letter, but clearly there were no hard feelings. If anything, there was hope, Lin was offering a raincheck.

“I can work with this,” Kya thought to herself. 

___

The events that followed the Glacier Spirits festival were nothing if not unexpected. The spirits had attacked her very own home, and she felt lucky Unalaq had been there to help temper them.

As annoying and uptight as he could be, Kya felt for her brother. She’d always picked on him, but she knew losing his Avatar pupil to the Northern Water Tribe Chief was a blow to his ego. Especially after already having lost his job on the council. 

Which is why when her mother recommended she and Bumi go with him on his family vacation, she didn’t object. Besides, it would be fun spending time with her nieces and nephews. And while Tenzin might be a stick in the mud, she knew Bumi would keep things interesting. 

She wrote her reply to Lin that night, knowing very well the plan would likely come to fruition in the morning as Tenzin was set to leave. 

> _ Dear Lin, _
> 
> _ So, slight change of plans - I’m actually going on vacation with Bumi, Tenzin and the family, at Mom’s request. Korra dumped him as a spiritual leader for her uncle, Chief Unalaq of the Northern Water Tribe. _
> 
> _ It was fascinating, we actually had spirits attack the fair. Luckily no one was hurt, and Unalaq was able to control them in a way that got them to stand down. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. I think it shocked Tenzin, so she’s particularly mopey...even by Tenzin standards.  _
> 
> _ Luckily, we’re going to the Southern Air Temple, which is where Dad was born. Tenzin’s been and always spoke highly of it, though Dad never actually took Bumi or me there. It’s been on my bucket list of remaining places to visit, so at least that’s something! _
> 
> _ Apparently Tenzin keeps insisting he’s going to be “laidback” throughout the trip, and Bumi’s dubbed this new persona “Vacation Tenzin.” I let you know how long it takes before Tenzin blows up. My bet is an hour into the ride.  _
> 
> _ If all goes well and we don’t kill each other, I may catch a ride with them back to Air Temple Island before sailing back home. I’ll be sure to reach out if I do, as I’d love to see you and I’m sure I’ll have a lot of fun stories to tell from our trip! _
> 
> _ I hope things weren’t as crazy in Republic City as they were at the South Pole.  _
> 
> _ Sincerely yours, _ _  
>  _ _ Kya _


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little trauma for everyone!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly some character development to get us through LOK: Book 2 scenes.

“Well, I’m starved!” Bumi announced as he drummed his beer-inflated belly. “All this worrying about Ikki really opens a man’s appetite! I’m going to go see what the Air Acolytes prepared for dinner!”

Kya and Tenzin laughed as their oldest brother ran away. 

“I am glad you found Ikki, Tenzin.” Kya said, folding up the family portrait and tucking it away back into her pocket. 

“I was really worried there, I’m just glad she’s ok.” Tenzin paused and took a deep breath. “Kya?”

“Yes, Tenzin?” Kya said looking up into her younger brother’s grey eyes. 

“What I said last night, about you not being responsible...” 

“It’s ok, we said a lot of things last night in anger.”

“Well it’s more than that…” Tenzin said, awkwardly. 

“Oh?”

“When we were visiting...a few months ago...that morning when I...and you were with Lin.” 

“Yeah?” Kya said, as both siblings blushed at the memory of that morning. 

“I mentioned your travels then, too...I called you selfish.” 

Kya was silent, her shoulders tensing as she could feel the direction the conversation was heading. 

“And last night, again...I’m really sorry.” 

“Thank you.” Kya said, with a deep exhale. 

“Can I ask you something...about that time?”

“There it is,” Kya thought to herself. She tried to steady her breathing. 

“After I left your house, I saw Mother. She said something that’s left me wondering. She said we didn’t know about something you had experienced? That you had suffered? Can I ask you, Kya, what happened?” 

Kya stared into her brother’s cool, grey eyes for a few minutes before responding, focusing on keeping her emotions together. 

“I lost someone,” she finally said. “My partner, my first love, in many ways my wife. She was murdered in Ba Sing Se.”

“Oh, Kya…” Tenzin was at a loss for words, his heart broke for her. “I’m...I’m so sorry.”

“Me too,” she said with a forced smile. “I...travelled...because I needed to get away from everyone. From our family, myself…I’m sorry I never told you.”

Tenzin could see the tears Kya held back glistening in the corner of her eyes. He stretched his hand out and placed it on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Kya quickly wiped away whatever moisture threatened release and laughed. 

“We should get down there before Bumi eats all the food.” 

___

Lin bent her uniform off and let it fall to the ground. Though she was usually careful to put it away in the closet, her exhaustion finally got the better of her. She walked into the kitchen as she dug her fingers into a knot forming in her shoulder from the tension, President Raiko’s threat ringing in her ears. 

_ If you don’t get me results soon, I’m going to find someone who can. _

“Fuck,” Lin said as she punched the wall next to her ice box, opening a hole in the sheet rock. She ripped the door open, nearly pulling it off the hinges, and took out a beer chugging half of it before turning back around and settling down on the couch. Lin took another swig and let her weight drop forward onto her elbows, propping them up on her legs. She rolled her shoulders back, hoping for relief, but found little outside of a small crack. 

“Ugh,” Lin groaned and looked up at the clock on the wall that mocked her. It was three in the morning. She hadn’t been home since the night of the protest when the Cultural Center was set ablaze. Her head pounded, she could barely think straight anymore she was so tired. But she’d only just gotten her job back, she couldn’t risk losing it again. What was she missing? 

Lin sat back on the couch, letting her head fall back against the cushion, beer tucked safely between her legs. Lin shut her eyes, and all she could see was the building on fire. She tried to open them, to get the image out, but they were too heavy.

Her mind wandered. She could feel the heat as each explosion set the flames higher and higher. People screamed in the distance. Lin looked around to see if anyone was hurt, but suddenly no one was around. She looked back to see the fire, but the flames were gone, the building gone. A dark figure walked toward her. “Who’s there?” Lin cried out, but the figure did not reply. It came closer and closer until finally she could see the face under the dark, hooded cloak. Not a face, but a mask. “Amon!” Lin whispered. She tried to scream, tried to run, but her body was petrified, it could not move. Suddenly she was on her knees, his thumb pressed into her throbbing skull as tears streamed down her cheeks. 

“You’re a failure, Lin Beifong” Amon said. 

Lin shot up gasping for air, her hands clutching to the couch beneath her. She heard glass shatter and the sound was enough to bring her out of her stupor. She looked down at the broken beer bottle, its contents spilled across the floor. Her eyes darted back up to the clock: 6:00 AM. 

“Great,” the Chief growled to herself, rubbing the phantom pressure on her forehead, and stood up. She mopped the mess up and discarded the glass. Quickly washing up, she recollected the armor, still discarded on the floor of her living room, and made her way back to the precinct. 

As soon as she walked in, she was met with an onslaught of questions from her various officers all looking into the Cultural Center attack. 

“Chief,” Lu called out over the crowd. “Another Varrick ship was hit, we’ve got the Captain in room two.” 

Lin could feel the pressure mounting at both temples. “I’ll be right there.” 

___

Jinora’s limp body lay helpless in Kya’s lap as they flew back to Air Temple Island. She would not let Jinora die like she had Ying Yue. She kept the energy pooling back and forth the entire ride. Even as her arms grew weak and numb, Kya pushed through, weaving her arms. She just needed to get her to the island and into the healing pool. At least there the water her mother had used during her time as Air Temple Island’s resident healer would be available, it could help boost her efforts. 

The family finally landed and Tenzin tooked Jinora from Kya’s lap. “Let’s get her inside,” he said to no one in particular. Pema simply nodded, her eyes red from crying. Kya needed to keep it together, for all of them. She followed her brother into the temple and up the stairs to the pool and weaved another wave of healing over her niece. Her arms shook, her muscles exhausted. 

“Kya, you’ve done enough.” Tenzin said, pulling her arm down. “Thank you.”

“I can’t stop, Tenzin, I can’t let her...I can’t lose her…”

Tenzin wrapped his sister in a strong embrace and the pair broke into sobs. 

“She’s going to make it,” Kya said between gasps for air. “She has to make it.”   
“It’s all my fault, Kya. I shouldn’t have let her go.”

“No Tenzin, I’m sorry for even suggesting it. This is all my fault.”

“No, I’m her father, I should’ve known better. I should’ve protected her.”

The two sat there, holding each other as they cried. 

Finally, a knock at the door brought them back to reality – it was Korra. “Tenzin, Kya...I’m...so sorry. But we need to find President Raiko. We need to tell him what Unalaq is up to, I’m so sorry to rush you, but we have to move quickly.” 

“Korra’s right,” Tenzin said. “Kya, you should get some rest.”

“Let me come with you. She’s stable for now and the water will keep it that way. I’m not going to be able to sleep.”

Tenzin and Korra nodded. 

___

Lin cursed herself for not trusting Mako from the beginning. It was poor police work on her part, and once again she had failed. The sensation of failure was becoming so regular, it felt like an extra set of armor over her already heavy uniform. She was sure he received the credit he deserved, and as for the two imbeciles she called Detectives, well, she’d take care of them. 

A figure entered the periphery of her vision and she could see an air bison making its way toward them. The animal landed and Korra jumped off and ran towards her and the President. 

“Oh spirits, what now?” Lin thought to herself. The Avatar always brought a headache. 

“Avatar Korra, what’s wrong?” the President asked the girl.

“Sir, I know I’ve asked for your help before, but things have changed.” She replied. Lin saw Kya stand up in the saddle, her heart immediately skipping a beat at the sight of her.

_ Sincerely yours, Kya _

The words played in her head as the woman approached, distracting her that it took a minute after the Avatar said her bidding to realize what was happening: this wasn’t just a civil war between water tribes, the world was in danger. 

“Sir, we desperately need your help!” The Avatar pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Korra, but my answer is still ‘no’.” The President replied.

The group gasped and Lin tried to stifle her own. The President was her superior and she could not outwardly object his decision. She could feel Kya’s eyes burning into her as she stood there, silent. 

“There are lives on the line, and my daughter is one of them!” Tenzin pressed with fervor. “Raiko, you must reconsider!” 

Jinora? Ikki? What happened? Lin could feel her anxiety mounting. But Raiko stood by his position, insisting that if there were to be a war, he would need his forces to defend Republic City. And while she knew it was not the answer the team wanted, she knew in some ways Raiko was right. She averted her eyes from Kya, unable to look at them directly. 

The President left the team as they deliberated their options. Lin lingered in the distance, not sure of how to approach. 

“Wait, where’s Mako?” Korra asked her friends. 

The Chief of Police finally spoke. “I made a grave error, Korra. Mako’s in prison.” 

“What, why?” 

“Because I was too foolish to trust him, that’s why. He’s the only one that figured out it was Varrick behind these attacks...I should’ve listened to him. Let’s go give him the credit he deserves!” 

“Wait!” Korra, stopped the group. “Varrick?!” 

“So basically what happened,” Bolin started as he grabbed Korra by the shoulders and walked her away, updating her on the happenings of Republic City. 

Lin watched them walk away, as Bumi and Tenzin followed, until finally it was just her and Kya left. 

“Hey,” Kya said, breaking the silence.

“Hey yourself,” Lin replied with a weak smile. “Kya...what happened to the girls?”

Kya looked grave, now up close, Lin could see the dark circles below them. The deep red veins pronounced from tears and exhaustion around her now dull, blue irises. 

“Kya, what happened?” 

“Jinora went with Korra into the Spirit World. Unalaq...captured her. We’ve lost her spirit...her body is dying, Lin.” 

Lin gasped and covered her mouth, moving closer to Kya. 

“Kya, I’m so sorry…”

“I could feel her Lin. I could feel her body dying in my arms...it was just like….” Kya choked, and Lin quickly wrapped her in a hug. A public display of affection that she’d normally rather be dead than show on her own streets, but this warranted it. Kya buried her face into the crook of Lin’s neck, the only exposed flesh from her uniform and Lin rubbed her back. “It’s ok, it’s going to be ok. She’s a strong kid, she’ll make it.” 

Kya pulled away from the metal bender. “I hope so.” 

“Lin, are you coming?” Korra called out, as the team was once again mounting the air bison. 

“Head on without me, I’ll meet you at the station.” the Chief yelled back. 

Lin turned back to Kya, “Do you want to come over tonight? If you’re too tired, you don’t–”

“Yes.” Kya said quickly. “I want to come. I can’t go back to that island tonight. I can’t see…” 

“Ok,” Lin said. “I need to take care of this really quickly. Do you remember my address? I’ll be home in an hour.”

“I’ll be there.”

Lin nodded and left, making her way to release Mako. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I rushing through book 2 because it's my least favorite of all of LOK? Yes, 100%. I just really needed to reunite them, so the next chapter will deliver more Kyalin time :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin reciprocates the support Kya offered her a few months ago, causing Kya to have a powerful realization.

Lin could see Kya sitting on the steps of her brownstone, head hung low. Lin’s heart broke for Kya, she thought back on how guilty she felt when she couldn’t save her men from Amon’s blood bending. If any of them had died...a shudder ran down Lin’s spine at the thought. 

Kya looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and quickly stood to greet Lin. 

“Hi...again.” Kya said, awkwardly.

“Hi,” Lin replied with a weak smile. 

The pair stood outside for what felt like a century, both women’s hearts racing without the other knowing it. 

“Should we...go inside?” Lin said, finally. 

Kya nodded and Lin moved forward. As she went to walk past the water bender, Kya grabbed her arm, stopping her. The tan woman moved in, her hand caressing Lin’s cheek as she brought their lips together. Their mouths moved against each other softly, Lin sucked lightly on Kya’s lower lip as she grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in closer, eliciting a gentle moan from the back of Kya’s throat. The sound was enough to set Lin’s body aflame. She pulled away just enough to take a breath, their foreheads pressed together so that their noses brushed. 

“I’ve missed you,” Kya said in a whisper.

“Me too,” Lin replied with a deep sigh. “Let’s get inside.” 

Kya followed the Chief up the steps into her home. They walked down a dark hallway that emptied out into a spacious living room, lined with walnut built-in bookshelves and a large, tan leather couch. Lin ushered Kya in and motioned at the couch as she turned on a lamp.

“Make yourself at home. I’m just going to change really quickly.” Lin said and continued down the hall. 

Kya walked around the room, admiring the hundreds of books lining the shelves. She pulled one out and admired the leather binding, it was clearly an antique. 

“This was my grandpa’s collection,” Lin said, startling Kya who quickly returned the book to its rightful spot, as if she were a child caught stealing candy. Lin laughed at the innocent reaction. “It’s ok, you can look through them.” 

“I didn’t realize you were such an avid reader.”

“It’s one of the few things that truly calms me,” Lin said with a shrug. “Obviously my mom didn’t read to us much growing up,” Lin laughed. “But she told us lots of stories of her travels with your dad, starting her metal bending academy. Those are some of the happiest memories I have with her and Su - and even those are few and far between - but sometimes when she was actually around at night, we’d all lay in bed and she’d tell us a story. As we got older and we got to visit my grandparents in Gaoling, I’d spend hours in my grandfather’s library just reading other people’s stories. When he died, he left me this collection. It’s my only real connection to the Beifong dynasty. Su inherited a lot, but then again she was sent to live with them.” Lin said, the tone of her voice shifted sourly at the mention of her sister.

“Well, it’s incredible,” Kya said in awe, trying not to let the topic of Suyin or the Beifongs linger. She knew family was a sore point for the metal bender. 

Lin watched Kya as her face scanned the bookshelves. It struck Lin how magnificent she looked, right now, in this moment as she absently appreciated the room around her. Lin wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen someone more beautiful. 

“Can I get you something to drink? Water or...something stronger?”

“Something stronger works.” Kya said with a smile. 

“On it.” 

Lin went into the kitchen and returned with two glasses of whiskey on the rocks and handed one to Kya. Lin held her glass out and Kya tapped it with hers, there was little to cheer verbally, so they let the sound of the glass clinking replace any declaration. Lin took a sip and let her weight fall to the couch and she draped her left arm over the back of the cushion next to her. Kya followed suit and sat in the empty space, her neck resting against Lin’s stretched arm. 

The pair sat silently as they sipped their drinks, the stress lingering above their heads unaddressed. Lin thought back to the day she’d returned to Kya’s home after believing there was no hope left for her bending to return. Kya had been there for her, willing to support her in the way  _ she _ needed. Now it was time to return the favor. 

Lin pulled her hand in so that it touched Kya’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Kya turned to her for the second time that night in shock, “You’re just full of surprises tonight, aren’t you?” 

Lin blushed, “Listen, talking isn't my thing, but you’re the one who’s always insisting it helps. And I like to think I’m a decent listener, so the offer stands.” 

Kya looked deeply into Lin’s chartreuse eyes, the pupils pulsing slightly as they met her own cerulean irises. 

“It’s all my fault, Lin,” Kya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “We were at the Eastern Air Temple when Korra arrived. The whole vacation, I noticed Jinora was always playing with something we couldn’t see. She kept saying it was an imaginary friend, but I just knew she was seeing spirits. Jinora’s been special since birth, her aura is just...different from others. Tenzin tried and tried, but he could not meditate into the Spirit World and Korra needed to get in-”

“Sorry, before you continue,” Lin interrupted. “Why did she need to go so badly?”

“Oh...did she not mention she opened the Spirit Portal at the South Pole? She was going to close it.”

“Nope, failed to mention that,” Lin said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “So she started a Civil War  _ and  _ she opened a portal to the Spirit World...great.” Lin said sarcastically, drawing out the last word causing Kya to smile.

“In her defense, she was tricked into doing it.” 

“Sure, sure,” the Chief rolled her eyes. “Anyway, sorry, continue.” 

“So Tenzin was struggling and we were running out of time, so I was the one that identified Jinora’s talent, and then I insisted she be the one to guide Korra. If I hadn’t interfered, she’d still be here. We wouldn’t be losing her, Lin.” Kya cleared her throat, trying to hold back the sob caught in it. 

“Kya, you cannot blame yourself,” Lin said sternly. “You had no way of knowing this would happen! You were just trying to help.”

“But in trying to help, I may have killed my niece, Lin.” 

The tears came, she couldn’t hold them back. Not after saying the possibility out loud. Lin took Kya’s glass and placed both down on her end table, before turning back to the water bender and grabbing her by the shoulders. 

“Listen to me,” Lin said, moving her right hand so that it cupped Kya’s cheek, wiping away the tears with her thumb. “Jinora is not going to die.” 

“We don’t know that.”

“She’s special, you already said it yourself. She’s strong and she has a strong spirit, Jinora will come back,” Lin said it with such certainty, Kya was nearly convinced. “And once she’s back, you and Tenzin and Korra, and even me if it comes to it, will beat the ever loving shit out of Unalaq. We’ll make him rue the day he was born and we’ll put him away for life.” 

Kya swooned at hearing Lin speak with such conviction. She knew in that moment that what she felt for Lin and thought her heart might burst with the realization of it. She quickly pressed forward so that their lips met with a hot kiss. Lin lost her balance at the unexpected force and fell back on the couch. Kya took the opportunity and pressed their bodies together, their lips never parting. Lin eased into Kya’s touch, her hands dragging the hem of Kya’s dress up so that she could caress her exposed thighs.

Kya finally parted for air, and Lin groaned at the loss of contact and slowly opened her eyes to see the sea of blue above her. 

“Let’s go to bed,” Kya said softly, standing and placing her hand out for Lin to take, which she did. Kya led the way down the same hall Lin had travelled earlier to change, leading to the bedroom. 

The two women entered the room and continued forward toward the bed, stopping just at the edge. 

“Take my dress off,” Kya said softly, and Lin quickly complied, lifting the material of both the dress and under shirt over her head and dropping them to the floor. Kya then sat at the edge of the bed. Lin approached her, but Kya stopped her by grabbing her hips. She rubbed her thumbs below the bottom of Lin’s tank top, across her abdomen just above the waistband of her sweats until her thumbs met in the middle below the naval. Kya slid her hands below the fabric and stroked upwards until she reached the bottom of Lin’s breasts, which she traced below again with her thumbs. Lin tried to steady her breathing, her mind growing hazy with sensation. Kya’s hands slid back down her stomach until they reached the bottom of the shirt and grabbed the material to slide it upward. Kya reached just above Lin’s breasts, now exposing the erect buds. Lin quickly pulled the rest of the shirt off and threw it to the ground. She wasted no time in waiting for Kya to tease her anymore and removed her pants as well. 

Kya smiled at the action and held out her hand for Lin to grab again as she pulled her back onto the bed over her. Lin followed her lead, but pulled her up by the waist as she moved onto the bed until Kya’s head fell on a pillow. Lin stared down at Kya, her hand cupping her face again and stroking her cheekbone. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Lin whispered, causing the tan woman to blush. Lin closed the space between them, taking Kya’s lips with hers in a tender kiss. The women moved against each other, their arms sensually grazing against the other’s skin. Lin slowly moved her way down Kya’s neck, stopping to pay attention to her breasts, before moving down her soft stomach. She pulled down her underwear slightly, and placed a soft kiss at her pelvis, drawing a slight moan from Kya’s mouth. Lin slid the thin material down the dark legs, careful to drag her fingertips along the outside of her thighs, only to mimic the motion back up on the inside. Kya shuddered and her legs spread, inviting Lin. 

Lin moved in and slowly tasted Kya, running her tongue across the length of her back and forth. Kya’s back arched as her hands grabbed at the sheets below them. “Lin, please,” she begged, breathlessly.

Lin pressed her tongue in further, causing a louder moan to escape Kya’s lips. Lin’s tongue swirled around her, quickly hitting her most sensitive area before circling around it again. Kya panted, she needed more. 

“Fuck me.” 

Lin brought her hand below her chin and slid a single finger into Kya, causing her hips to buck in response. Lin matched her tongue’s rhythm as Kya ground her hips against her, adding a second finger, they moved faster and faster until suddenly Kya’s hips arched off the bed as she clenched all around Lin. 

Lin held still until her lover’s body released its grasp. She lapped up the rest of her and pulled her wet fingers out. Kya groaned, her body still sensitive from her climax. The metal bender moved up in the bed next to Kya and pulled down her comforter. 

Kya looked over at her, confused, but lifted herself so that the sheets could come down. Lin slid in and pulled the covers back over the two of them. From below she grabbed Kya by the waist and pulled her into a spoon. 

“Is everything...ok?” Kya asked, still confused. 

“Everything’s perfect,” Lin whispered back into her ear. “You need to get some sleep, though.” 

“Are you sure? I’m happy to…”

“I know,” Lin said, smiling against the back of Kya’s neck before placing a kiss on it. “I need to sleep, too. I’ve also barely slept all week. We’ll have time in the morning.” 

“Oh Lin!” Kya said, trying to turn to face her, but the pale arms held tightly onto her waist. “I’m so sorry, I should’ve asked you how everything was going!”

“Shhh,” Lin quieted her. “It’s fine, you needed tonight. Let’s get some sleep.” 

Kya sighed and relaxed against Lin, the exhaustion of the past few days finally catching up with her. She squeezed Lin’s arm tightly to her, her heart still singing with the realization.

“Lin?” Kya whispered, but received no response. She felt Lin’s leg twitch and knew the woman was likely already asleep. 

“I love you,” she said under her breath. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin's still having night terrors, only now it comes with sleep bending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter to set some things in motion. Please trust the process 😬

_ If you don’t get me results soon, I’m going to find someone who can. _

_ The voice repeated as the flames flew up into the sky.  _

_ “You’re a failure” it was Amon's voice now, calling over Raiko's. _

_ “No!” Lin screamed in response. She frantically turned, looking for the source but there was no one there. The flames surrounded her, climbing higher and higher. _

_ Failure! _

_ Lin turned again and suddenly the fire was gone. She looked up as rain fell on her face, when she looked back down, she was kneeling at Air Temple Island.  _

_ “No, no, no” Lin panicked. Her head suddenly wrenched back, the pain coursed through her, muscles taut with tension. Her forehead throbbed as a thumb pressed into it, pulling the life from her. She finally fell, a broken, empty shell dropping to the ground as her tormentors left her for dead. But when her body hit the ground, she could feel the earth whispering her name, encouraging her to get up. To fight back. _

_ Lin. _

_ She threw her arms out with whatever strength she could muster through the pain.  _

_ Lin. _

_ The ground cracked around them and began to shake. Someone screamed. A woman? Kya?  _

_ LIN! _

Lin’s eyes opened and she shot up. She was soaked in a pool of her own sweat, chest heaving as she tried to regain her breath, her hands clenching the damp sheets beneath her. A reassuring hand squeezed her shoulder.

“It’s ok, Lin” the voice said again. “You’re ok, just breathe.” 

A cooling sensation rushed down her arm and crossed her chest. Lin closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

“There you go, that’s it.” Lin felt the hand gently glide across her shoulder blade to the base of her neck and down her spine. Goosebumps assaulted her bare skin at the sensation and she shivered. 

Lin finally turned to look at the woman beside her. Kya’s light blue eyes were wide, her full lips turned downward, her brow furrowed with concern. Just behind her, Lin could see a crack running across the ground and up the wall, threatening to destroy the foundation and bring the room crumbling on the pair had it gone any higher. 

“Did I…” Lin asked, rhetorically. 

“You started screaming. I tried waking you, but then you started sleep bending. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” Lin looked away, humiliated. “I could’ve killed you.” 

Lin could feel her heart racing, she was so ashamed that she’d put them both in danger, but especially Kya. What was wrong with her? 

“But you didn’t!” Kya reassured, sensing Lin’s frustration. “This was worse than it was a few months ago...are you still regularly having these dreams?”

“Well I haven’t really been sleeping to fucking know,,” Lin snapped. Her shame quickly evolved to anger. “Considering your beloved Southern Water Tribe started a fucking war and Varrick took to blowing shit up to further instigate, endangering Republic City citizens, I’ve had my hands a little full here, Kya.”

Kya was shocked. She hadn’t expected this reaction from Lin, especially not after the night they’d had. She wasn’t sure how to proceed for fear of making it worse. “Lin…” 

Lin looked at Kya finally and could see she was upset. She recognized the look, it was the same one Tenzin would give her when she had one of her outbursts. This is why she didn’t do relationships, Lin reminded herself. She wasn’t good at sharing her life and herself with others, all it did was cause issues for everyone involved. Kya didn’t deserve this, she deserved better. 

“I think this was a mistake,” Lin said, quickly looking away and rolling out of bed. 

Kya’s heart sank. “What...what was a mistake?”  
  
“This,” Lin said motioning at the bed and back and forth between them. “Us. All of it.”

“Don’t say that,” Kya said, tears stinging her eyes, her heart clenched in her chest. “Why are you saying that?” Kya’s voice cracked. 

“I think you should leave,” Lin deflected the answer. 

Kya sat paralyzed, tears now streaming down her cheeks. “Wh-why? Why are you doing this?”

Lin’s chest was tight, but she knew it’s what was for the best, for both of them. “No strings attached, remember? That’s what we agreed to, and you’re sitting here crying. This isn’t right. We’re not right for each other.”

“Fuck what we agreed,” Kya said, now standing and walking toward Lin. “We’re good for each other, Lin. Please, we can work through this…”

“There’s no ‘we’, Kya - there’s you, and there’s me. We live our separate lives three thousand miles away from each other. This was never going to work.” Lin said it calmly despite her stomach turning with every word. “Please leave.”

Kya stared at her again, but Lin couldn’t make eye contact with her. After a few minutes, she finally spoke. 

“Fuck you, Lin,” she spat. “You’re scared and you’re pushing me away.”

Lin winced, but she refused to look up at the water bender. 

“Fine,” Kya said as she picked up her clothing from the floor and quickly dressed. “If this is really what you want, I’ll leave.” 

The tan woman made her way to the door of Lin’s bedroom. 

“For the record, Lin,” Kya said as she opened the door, “I was falling in love with you, I just wish you had the courage to love me back.” 

The door slammed. Lin heard the footsteps stomping down the hall, followed by another slam of her front door. Lin stood silently for a few minutes staring at the floor until finally she collapsed onto the corner of her bed and cried. 

___  
  


Kya made her way back to the pier, her heart broken. Between Jinora and Lin, she wasn’t sure how much more heartbreak she could take. She didn’t understand it, why was Lin pushing her away? Just last night, Kya felt like they were moving forward. Lin had been so thoughtful, so tender. Kya knew she was afraid of being vulnerable with another person after Tenzin, but it felt as though she was starting to let those walls down slowly.

And then the nightmare happened. Kya thought back on it, how she woke to Lin’s screams for a second time. Only this time she’d nearly brought the house down on them. Kya shuddered at the thought. If only Lin could see that together they were stronger than apart, that she could help her through her stress in the same way Lin had reassured her last night. 

Kya arrived at the pier and found a large blue-and-white vessel docked there, Tenzin and Korra standing at the entrance. 

“Kya, finally!” Tenzin called out and she ran to her brother. “We’ve been waiting for you!” 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know - where did this boat come from?”

“Varrick,” Korra said with a sly smile. “He owes us. We’re taking it and sailing home to take out Unalaq.”

Kya nodded before asking, “How’s Jinora?” 

Tenzin’s face turned grave. “I fear the worst, Kya…we filled a tub with the spirit water, would you…”

“I’ll go right away."

And with that, the trio entered the ship and the team took off to defeat Unalaq. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! 
> 
> Also, I'll move into Book 3 from here cause I'm REALLY JUST TRYING TO GET US TO 3X5 THE METAL CLAN. Book 2, Kya getting lost in the mist, and the attack on Republic City will get addressed, just not immediately. I swear I have a plan!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New airbenders send the teams off to find recruits and Lin faces her fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: A pretty serious panic attack sends Lin on a spiral that eventually a little acupuncture solves.

It had been two weeks since Korra had defeated Vaatu from destroying the world, but that didn’t mean Lin was at a loss for work or stress. Vaatu’s short-lived invasion of Republic City had caused severe infrastructural damage. And whatever he hadn’t touched was now being consumed by spirit vines from the portal the Avatar left open. The people of Republic City were on edge, crime was at an all-time high, and with every percentage drop of the President’s approval rating, the more pressure he put on the police. 

Lin’s exhaustion had reached a new peak, she worked straight for forty-eight hours and came home for six hour breaks before heading back again. The nightmares continued, which only left her feeling worse for wear. Occasionally, she was lucky that her body and brain were so worn out her stress couldn’t even filter in and she’d all but pass out. But more often than not, she wasn’t so lucky.

Despite all this, Lin was happy to be busy. If she was busy, it meant she couldn’t think about Kya. And if she didn’t think about Kya, then her heart wouldn’t feel like it was physically breaking in her chest. She hoped that maybe if she could keep herself busy long enough, the pain would cease and she’d be able to move on with her life once again. 

A knock at her office door pulled Lin out of her trance, “Come in,” she said absent mindedly as she closed the report she wasn’t reading. It was Mako.

“Chief...the most bizarre thing just happened to me...I think I just found an airbender?”

* * *

The past two weeks had been a whirlwind for Kya. After Harmonic Convergence, she’d come back to Air Temple Island with her brothers to reopen the healing center her mother used to run to tend to the Republic City citizens who had been injured by Vaatu’s attack. 

Since losing Ying Yue, Kya had been hesitant to use her abilities on anything more than simple wounds. But after Jinora’s spirit became trapped and she had to use her bending to keep her body alive, Kya felt reconnected in a new way to her bending. While it may not have been enough to return Jinora’s spirit to her body, it had been enough to keep her alive. And it was more than enough to help hundreds of people. It was rewarding, after all that time, to feel the purpose of her bending once again. 

“You look like Mother, you know” Tenzin had said to her after a particularly long day of healing. 

“Exhausted?” Kya had jokingly replied.

“Happy,” he’d reassured. “She was always her happiest when she was healing people. And Republic City was fortunate to have her here as a resident healer. You know, Kya, you could stay here if you wanted to,” he had proposed. “Move back and re-open the practice. I think it’d be good for you.” 

It hadn’t taken long for Kya to consider the offer before she accepted. Her little brother was right, healing – despite her decades-long respite – was bringing her a kind of fulfillment she hadn’t previously had in her life. 

So, Kya made a quick trip south and promptly moved herself back to Air Temple Island after a lifetime away. She was just starting to finally settle in when they discovered her oldest brother, Bumi, had newfound air bending abilities. 

Bumi punched and kicked at the empty space around him, causing Kya to smile. 

“I have been noticing a change in your aura lately,” she told her brother and she closed her eyes and felt the energy around them.

“And you didn’t tell me!” He yelled back. 

Kya’s face dropped, but it wasn’t because of her brother’s reply, but because of the person now approaching behind them. She wouldn’t turn, but she didn’t need to in order to recognize the footsteps. Kya could feel her heart racing as her chest clenched. The footsteps passed and she let herself glance quickly to confirm what she already knew: it was Lin. Her eyes darted back to her brother before the Chief and her lead detective, Mako, could see her looking. 

Lin continued walking, trying to ignore the pain ripping through her at the sight of Kya. She took deep breaths and tried to focus on why they were there:  _ new airbender, new airbender _ , Lin repeated in her mind. She glanced again and admired Kya from behind, the way her back curved in at her waist. Even through her dress, her ass looked great, Lin noted and tried to suppress a blush. From behind Kya she could see Bumi jabbing at the air with reckless abandon.

“Invisible spirit monster attack?” She asked the group, turning to face the two siblings, giving her an excuse to see Kya’s face. It sent another pang through her chest. “Look at me,” Lin commanded from her brain, “Please, look at me.” 

But the waterbender only focused on her eldest brother, as if the officers weren’t even there. 

“Lin, you won’t believe this! Bumi just started air bending!” 

Tenzin pulled Lin out of her thoughts of Kya as her eyebrows sprang up with the realization. She glanced at Mako before turning back to the group.

“I’m afraid he’s not the only one,” she replied.

“What!?” Exclaimed the group.

Mako told the group about the air bender. Their work there was done and Lin wanted to leave. She could feel Kya’s glanced piercing into her back, her anxiety creeping. Lin turned and quickly walked away, hoping Mako would follow but after a few steps away she could hear him still speaking to Korra.

“Dammit,” Lin cursed to herself. She approached the sibling pair. 

“Lin, did ya’ hear?” Bumi asked, he limbs flailing about trying to conjure his newfound abilities. “Tenzin’s not the only airbender in the family anymore! Oh, if only Dad were around to see me now!” 

“I’m sure he’d be so impressed by how quickly you’ve mastered the art of air bending, Bum.” Kya said dryly, her eyes never breaking away from her brother. 

“Listen, not all of us were blessed with abilities since birth, Kya. I’ll get the hang of it, you’ll see! Tell her, Lin!” 

“Uhh...right,” Lin said awkwardly, she wanted nothing more than to leave. She turned back and Mako was still chatting with the Avatar and she cursed him for it. “Rookie,” She finally called out, “We need to get going.” 

“Important Police business?” Kya asked mockingly. 

Lin felt her face flush, giving her away. “Yeah…” 

“Well we wouldn’t want to get in the way of you and your work.” 

Lin winced, she could see the hurt in Kya’s eyes. The hurt she had caused and it further solidified her choice. She only brought others pain. In time Kya would find someone else, someone worthy of her love. 

“Right, well...it was good seeing you both.” Lin said with a nod and walked away. 

Bumi watched her go and then looked back to his sister. 

“Weren’t you two dating?”

“No.”

“But I thought…”

“We weren’t a couple, Bumi. Let it go.” 

The new bender could see the pain in his sister’s eyes and just moved in and gave her a bear hug. “Fuck her,” he said picking his sister off the ground and shaking her back and forth slightly until she begged for mercy.

“Thanks, Bum,” Kya chuckled. She appreciated her brother’s efforts. 

* * *

_ You're always going to be a bitter, lonely woman.  _

The Avatar’s words reverberated in her mind. 

It was too much. It was all too much. She hadn’t slept in months, her job was eating her alive, now Zaheer and his cronies were hunting down the Avatar. The notice couldn’t have come at a worse time, she was already down her best man with Mako off with Team Avatar and Raiko breathing down her neck about controlling the spirit vines ravaging the city. And to add salt to an already nasty, open wound, she was in Zaofu...with her sister...and her niece, of all people, was a new airbender recruit. 

Any shred of strength Lin could scrap together was gone entirely. Her body shook as the tears fell.

Korra was right, she was bitter and lonely, and part of her felt like she deserved it for being such a failure. But then she looked around the metal green and silver room. How was any of this fair? She’d been sacrificing her entire life to do the right thing. She sacrificed her happiness, her career, spirits, even her bending, but it was never enough. And yet here she was, in a gorgeous room, in Su’s gorgeous home, in a city she had built from scratch where she lived lavishly with her gorgeous family. How had her selfish sister, who’d ruined her face, their mother’s career, and her own potential still won? How did she get to have a family and glory while Lin continued to get pummeled by life?

Lin stood up and threw the chair she was sitting on across the room with a scream. She hadn’t felt this much rage since Tenzin told her he was leaving her all those years ago on Air Temple Island. The memory swirled in her head along with images of Amon, Raiko, her benderless officers, the spirit vines...Kya… 

Lin could taste the bile in the back of her throat, but she swallowed it and instead slammed the heel of her foot down on the table in front of her, sending its contents smashing to the ground. She wanted to destroy the room. Destroy the reminder that despite her best efforts, she wasn’t good enough. The table cracked beneath her weight, but Lin felt her energy drain with the impact and she fumbled forward, barely catching herself before hitting the ground.

Her body broke out into a sweat, but despite it, she shivered. Her chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. The room around her spun out as her eyesight went blurry and she collapsed. 

* * *

“Spirits! Kya!” Pema screamed, rubbing her sister-in-law’s back as she slowly pulled the water bender’s weight across her legs. “Kya, are you alright? Can you hear me?”

Kya groaned, her head throbbed from where it had hit the ground and she was certain she had at least one broken rib. 

“Auntie Kya!” Ikki and Meelo screamed, running toward her. 

“What happened?” Meelo asked,

“Are you OK?” Ikki followed.

“We heard you call for help and we came running...who do I have to teach a lesson to?” Meelo continued, punching his fist into the palm of his open hand. 

“Children, please, give your aunt some space,” their mother insisted. 

“Yorru…”

“My best student!?” Meelo shrieked. “He did this to you?” 

“It’s not his name…” Kya shook her head and pushed herself up so that she could sit upright, but the motion shot excruciating pain up her sides. 

“I’ll get you some spirit water,” Pema said, slowly moving away, but Kya grabbed her by the arm and stopped her. 

“Pema...he’s Zaheer.”

“No!” the acolyte gasped. “But then that means…”

“That Zaheer is now an airbender.” 

Pema froze in place, unsure of how to process the revelation. It had taken Tenzin, his father, his uncle, and Fire Lord Zuko - four of the greatest fighters she knew - to capture Zaheer and his crew the last time, and that was when they were evenly set at three benders matched. If Zaheer was now an air bender, the potential damage he could inflict was...she shuddered at the thought. 

“We need to gather the new recruits and get to Tenzin, now.”

__

_ No wonder Tenzin ended it with you all those years ago.  _

_ If you don’t get me results soon, I’m going to find someone who can. _

_ You’re always going to be a bitter, lonely woman.  _

_ I’m the Chief of Police, I can’t have a daughter in jail.  _

_ For the record, Lin, I was falling in love with you. I just wish you had the courage to love me back. _

_ Failure. _

_ “No!” She’d try to scream, but her voice wouldn’t come out.  _

_ The flames surrounded her.  _

_ “Varrick!” Mako’s voice called out, but she couldn’t see him or the inventor over the smoke. Another building exploded and she ducked, but there was no debris. _

_ “Mako?” She tried, but again no sound came out.  _

_ “Lin! What are you doing?” This time it was Tenzin’s voice, she turned again, looking for a familiar face but now she was facing Air Temple Island. _

_ “No,” she thought to herself.  _

_ The flames cleared as the rain began to fall.  _

_ “No, no, no, no,” was all she could think.  _

_ She was on the ground, thumb pressed against her head.  _

_ “This isn’t real, this isn’t happening,” she thought to herself and shut her eyes. “I have my bending. You don’t win. Not this time. Not ever again.”  _

_ She opened her eyes and he was gone. There was no one. She was alone.  _

_ Lonely.  _

_ Bitter.  _

_ She fell to the ground, placing her hands on the rocks below. She could feel their vibration speaking to her. Welcoming her.  _

_ He hadn’t won. He was long gone and dead.  _

_ She had her bending, she wasn’t alone when she had the earth.  _

_ “Lin?” her voice called out, but she wouldn’t turn to face her. She knew she wouldn’t be there anyway.  _

_ “Lin,” it said again, closer this time. Lin stood, but didn’t turn.  _

_ “Lin, it’s ok. You’re ok,” she felt the warmth against her back, the same as she had in her home in the south. “Just breathe.”  _

_ Lin took a deep breath. She felt light, she felt free, she felt refreshed. All the pressure, the stress released from her body with a strong exhale.  _

_ “Wake up, Lin,” Kya said again. “Wake up.” _

_ Lin opened her eyes. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this took so long. I ended up writing an entire [Kyalin AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27479497) and then started a [prequel](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563540) to that because I was so stuck on this and didn't know how to pick it back up. Luckily, I think I've gotten over the writer's block hump and can get this moving again since I do have lots of thoughts about where to take it!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team saves the airbenders and Lin is horrified to find a badly injured waterbender among them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short, painful chapter to get us to the end of Book 3.

Lin hung silently off the side of the mountain with her sister and the officers awaiting the call. Despite the high altitude, the air was thick with tension among the metal benders awaiting their fate above on the landing as the Avatar rendezvoused with the most dangerous man on Earth. 

Lin closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. 

“You’ve got this,” the voice in her head assured her. 

It was the same voice that had gotten her through her panic attack and helped her release her own insecurities; the one that kept her steady when Aiwei was revealed to be the Red Lotus mole; the one that talked her down from killing Su when she announced she’d helped Korra and her gang escape in the middle of the night to chase down the traitor; the one that kept her motivated in her tracking of the group. 

The voice in her head keeping her moving wasn’t her own, but Kya’s. As soon as that spark of doubt, of failure, crept back up she’d close her eyes and hear her. She couldn’t see her, but they were her words. She’d feel the ghost of the warmth of her bending against her back, her voice’s gentle tone telling Lin it was all ok, just like she had after the nightmares. It was Kya’s place in her mind and her heart that kept her motivated, reminded her that she was capable. 

Lin knew, fundamentally, that it wasn’t actually Kya speaking to her, but a projection onto the figure Kya had been for her since Amon. A confidant, a healer, a lover, a friend. One that she had mistreated as a result of her own insecurities, she knew. One that hadn’t deserved the wrath of her own shame, especially not after the emotional toil she was going through with her niece. After her sessions with the acupuncturist in Zaofu, after her dream, Lin swore she’d do right by Kya. She’d apologize and hopefully they could at least salvage their friendship. And that hope, that voice she longed to get back to was enough to keep her going. Enough to wake up every morning and keep trying her best, despite the universe’s best efforts at keeping her down.

Lin opened her eyes and looked straight up, clouds peppering her view preventing her from seeing the landing. She pressed the heels of her feet into the rock she leaned against perpendicularly and her seismic sense gave her an estimate of how far up they’d have to climb when they got the call. She quickly calculated it in her head: twenty paces up if she could move the cables fast enough and every single one held steady to propel her forward. 

And then it came. 

“Chief,” Mako’s voice screamed over the receiver. “Get Korra out of there,  _ now _ !” 

“Go! Go!” She screamed at the officers, immediately going into pilot mode as she shot her cable forward. “One.” She counted to herself as she felt the metal latch into the stone and her body propelled forward.

* * *

Kya opened her eyes slightly and despite her blurred vision, she could make out Jinora and Ikki ahead.

“Did we make it out?” she thought briefly and tried to move, but she couldn’t, something was wrong. Her head throbbed, her entire body felt broken. The attempt at motion shot a pain through her ribcage, she couldn’t feel her legs. She didn’t have enough energy to scream in response to the pain, her eyes welled with tears and she whimpered, the most she could conjure.

“Auntie Kya!” Jinora exclaimed, but she couldn’t respond. The pain was too overwhelming, she couldn’t keep her eyes open so she gave in and let herself drift back into darkness. 

* * *

The bison landed in front of the cave and the group ran in until they reached a fork. Lin bent back her boot and slammed her foot into the ground. 

“If we continue to the left there are two guards at the end of the path, and twelve people behind them, all on the ground - that has to be the airbenders,” Lin said to the group, who all nodded in confirmation. “I can create a path through here and that’ll bring us in right between the men and the group,” Lin said, hand pressed against the stone at the wall between the two paths. With her left hand against the rock steadying her, Lin took a deep breath, pulled her feet apart into a horse stance and punched her right arm forward. The stone broke into a perfect door frame and slammed away from the group and into the cave’s walls. She took another step forward and with both fists this time punched again and the opening pushed back even further. “Follow me.” 

The group continued forward until they heard one of the guards scream, “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” 

Lin thrust forward with all her might, sending the last bit of stone flying, effectively knocking out the guard. The remaining soldier kicked into the ground and two stones flew up. Lin slid back as her sister rose a shield in front of them. Before she had a chance to respond, Asami jumped over the fractured wall and took out the remaining guard. It never ceased to amaze her how capable the girl was: beauty, brains, and brawn - a true triple threat. 

Lin took another look down the hall as the airbenders were freed and families reunited. “The coast is clear,” she announced, finally turning to look at the group they’d just saved. It was the blue dress in a sea of orange robes that first caught her eye and immediately sank her heart. 

“No,” Lin whispered, shock and terror stopping her in her tracks as her eyes made their way up the familiar figure and landed on her bruised face. Time stood still as Lin took it all in, Kya was here, hurt, and unconscious. When Tenzin said they had taken his family, she just assumed he meant Pema, the kids, and Bumi. She didn’t know...she hadn’t considered that Kya had traveled north with the rest of them.

Time caught up with her as Lin rushed forward and dropped to her knees, her hands on the ground next to Kya as she hovered over her. She could barely make out her pulse with her seismic sense; it was so faint. Lin fought back tears at the sight of her, and looked up at the air bender who had her head in his lap.

“Has she woken up at all?” 

“Briefly,” his voice was shaken. “She came to and immediately passed back out. I don’t think she’s going to make it.” 

“Don’t say that,” Lin said with more force than the airbender deserved and felt for him when his eyes went wide in fear. Lin cleared her throat and softly said, “She’s going to make it.” But she wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince him. 

Lin turned and saw Bumi in a similar state, but still conscious. “Bumi, can you walk?”

“No,” he said with a groan. “We fell down the side of a mountain trying to avoid that three eyed freak. Hit a lot of trees and landed hard. I think my leg may be broken.” 

“Fuck,” Lin said and looked back down at Kya. She knew she couldn’t carry them both out. “You,” she called to another airbender from the group. “Help him pick her up and be careful, she has serious wounds.” 

The man nodded and ran over, pulling one of Kya’s arms over his neck as the other man lifted her head off his lap and mimicked the motion. Kya groaned in pain, but she still wasn’t awake. 

“I said be careful!” Lin scolded them. Her heart was breaking, but she needed to hold it together. They weren’t out just yet. “Come here, Bum,” she said, lowering her shoulder so that he could throw his weight over her. “I’ve got you.” Lin held his dangling arm over her shoulder with her left hand and wrapped her right around his chest, digging her heels into the ground, she pressed her legs upward and stood them both up. 

“We have to get these two out of here now,” she announced to the group. “They don’t look so good.”

“What are you talking about,” Bumi wheezed. “I feel great.” But his lungs gave out as he tried to punch the air and fell into a coughing fit. She squeezed him closer to her and pulled him over to give extra support. 

“Let’s get out of here,” she told him and followed the group out as Tonraq, Mako, and Bolin went to find Korra.

The group got back to the bison and Tenzin. The airbenders and Lin helped Kya and Bumi rest on the ground, their legs were clearly badly injured and it had been a slow journey out of the caves. They desperately needed medical attention. 

The Southern Water Tribe Chief ran out behind them, “We have to help Korra!” he announced, pointing at the sky just as a small figure was hurled against a large stone. Lin winced at the sight and pulled her eyes away from the Avatar to look down at Kya who was just barely conscious. 

Lin shifted her weight over to the waterbender, cupping her face. “Kya?” She said, swallowing the pit in her throat. “Can you hear me?” 

“Lin?” She asked, her blue eyes were dulled and Lin could tell she was trying to focus them. 

“Hey, it’s me. Are you with me?”

Kya pressed her face into the palm as tears welled in her eyes. “I’m just so tired…” And once again she was out. 

“Kya? Kya, stay with me!” Lin said, propping up a stone and gently placing her against it, this time expertly pressing two fingers into her neck to feel her pulse, the easiest way to track her heart rate with all the excitement around. It was still beating faintly, but at least it was beating. They needed to help Korra defeat Zaheer and get out of there if Kya and Bumi were going to survive. Lin stood back up and watched as Zaheer sent Korra flying with another gust of wind. 

Kai, bless his heart, wanted to help. But she knew despite his good intentions and skill, he was no match for Zaheer. 

“There haven’t been this many airbenders for a long time either,” Jinora reminded her father. “We have power together.” The young girl stood and in that moment she reminded Lin of a young, defiant Kya and Lin knew she had a plan capable of saving them all. “Hurry! Everyone form a circle,” she yelled at the group and ran up to the clearing. “Follow me!” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear it'll get happier from here!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After four days in the hospital, Kya wakes to find Lin by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reunited and it feels so goooood.

Lin held Kya’s head in her lap as Oogie flew them home south to Air Temple Island. She’d lost consciousness again, but Lin kept a steady mental record of her heart rate. Korra laid in her father’s lap in a similar state, and the two shared worried glances any time either woman flinched. Suyin’s team was transporting the captured Zaheer by ground, but despite catching him, stopping his team, and rescuing the airbenders, the mood was still grim. They weren’t in the clear yet with so many injured, especially when one of those people was the Avatar. 

Oogie landed right in front of the Temple and Lin carefully picked up Kya’s head and laid it back down on the saddle so that she could stand. Her feet spread into a horse stance and she jabbed her fist quickly upward so that a tall, stone platform appeared just next to Oogie. She then squatted back down and picked up Kya. Looking at Tonraq, she motioned at the platform with the head, and he quickly lifted Korra and followed her onto the stone.

“Tenzin, Bumi, need a ride down or can you manage?” Lin asked. Both men were in bad shape, but luckily still conscious. 

“I’m not going to say no,” Bumi said, struggling to stand - his leg was definitely broken. One of the airbenders traveling with the group stood and helped Bumi up. 

“Thanks,” Bumi said sincerely. 

After them, Pema supported Tenzin as he stumbled onto the platform. 

“Everyone on?” Lin asked, examining the group before kicking her heel into the stone causing it to slowly descend. 

Jinora fluttered down on a breeze and met them. “Follow me, the injured can stay in the healing hut. Chief, we’ll need to call into the hospital and ask them to send over some healers and doctors.”

Lin listened as the group followed and the young girl rattled off necessities for the wounded, impressed. “Good thinking, Jinora. I know Asami said she’d put in a call when she got back for supplies and Mako should already be back at the precinct filing a report. If you can get him, he can put in the request for emergency medical services and they’ll send some people over.”

“I’ll call him right away,” she replied with a nod, sliding open the door to the center. Lin looked around at the mesh of old and new - it was the practice Katara had started generations ago. Old screens separated each patient’s quarters, but clearly the beds had been newly upgraded and the smell of weeks old incense filled the air instead of the stale smell she was expecting to find. She wondered if they’d planned to reopen the facility before the whole Zaheer fiasco. 

Lin carried Kya to an open bed and laid her down on the plain cot and unfolded the blanket at the foot of the bed, gently placing it over her and tucking it beneath her body to ensure it remained warm. Lin then took a step back and examined Kya, her left eye and cheek were bruised and swollen, her lips cut, her hair matted around her face. It took everything Lin had not to cry seeing her like this and she swore under her breath. Had they not already killed those three Red Lotus shits, she’d have hunted them down and killed them herself. 

“Tenzin?” she called out into the room. 

“I’m over here, Lin,” he replied and she followed the sound of his voice to find him three cots over. “How is she?”

“She’s still out,” Lin said through tight lips. “She’s breathing, but her pulse is weak, Tenzin. Jinora’s going to get Mako and he’ll have the emergency medics here soon, I know it.”

“And Korra?” 

“She’s in a similar spot.” She looked around before whispering, “Tonraq’s holding it together, but I think he’s a mess.”

“I’ll call Senna,” Pema said softly. “She should be here.” 

“Should we call…” Lin let it linger. While she had no doubt the medical staff and water benders from the Republic City Hospital could help, Katara was still the greatest healer in the world. But she was old and the journey was long.

“I was thinking that myself. I don’t know if she could make the trip,” Tenzin said sadly, shaking his head. “But it’s Kya...and Korra…”

“I know,” Lin nodded. “You make the call.”

“Let me think about it. But call Senna, Pema. She should get here as soon as she can.” Pema nodded and ran off and Lin looked at the ground and cracked her knuckles nervously. 

“She’s going to be ok, Lin.” Tenzin reassured her. “They both will.”

Lin looked up at him, blinking away tears. She nodded once and turned on her heels to return to Kya’s cot. 

* * *

The light hit Kya’s face and she stirred. Her mouth was so dry it felt of sandpaper and all she could smell was the sterile scent of disinfectant. She tried to open her eyes, but a pain shot of the left side of her face and she winced and let it close again. She took another deep breath and tried only opening her right and was relieved when the room around her came into focus without pain. She was in a hospital room, that much was certain. Her good eye blinked twice, trying to clear itself so that her sight could focus. Something of color appeared in her periphery to her right and she looked over to see an ornate arrangement of flowers in a bright, blue vase sitting on the small table in front of the window. Kya smiled, thankful for the life they brought to the otherwise bleak room. Next to the table, a figure laid asleep on the couch. 

Kya squinted, trying to make out the person whose face was turned into the couch, a thin blanket tucked up to their chin. She moved slightly, trying to see what would inflict pain and was pleased it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought. Pressing her palms into the mattress she pushed herself up slightly. As her waist bent to sit up, a pain shot through her rib cage and she let out a yelp. The sound immediately woke the sleeping figure, who sprang up from the small couch. 

“Lin?” Kya asked, shocked. 

“You’re awake!” Lin said excitedly at the same time. 

“Where am I? What happened? What are you doing here?” Kya’s head was spinning between the pain, likely some drugs, and the sight of Lin asleep in her hospital room...it was just too much and she closed her good eye again and took a deep breath to stop herself from feeling sick.

Lin watched with concern, but was grateful Kya had closed her eyes and couldn’t see her blushing at the last question. 

“Sorry, I just...  _ we _ just weren’t sure when you’d wake up. I’ll...Let me get Tenzin.” Lin said, quickly leaving the room. 

No sooner was the Chief of Police gone was her brother entering through the door. “Oh Kya, thank spirits you’re awake!” Tenzin rushed to her, but stopped short of touching her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Kya coughed, trying to move slightly without inflicting more pain. “What happened? Where am I?”

“What do you last remember?” 

Kya focused, “We were at the Northern Air Temple, Bumi and I were fighting Ming-Hua and Ghazan...and then it all goes a little blurry?”

“You and Bumi took a pretty hard fall down the side of the mountain. The Red Lotus captured you and the rest of the air benders and were keeping you in a cave. They tricked Korra and the team, and captured her as well.”

“No!” Kya said, sitting up to better hear and immediately regretting the quick motion. “Fuck,” she grabbed her side. “Is she OK?”

“No better than you,” Tenzin said sadly. “Zaheer, he…he tortured her. He poisoned her blood, forced her into the Avatar state...suffocated her with her own breath…Jinora helped save her. If she hadn’t been there, I hate to imagine what might have happened...”

“Spirits, Tenzin...that poor girl.” 

“I know. She’s strong, but she’s going to need time to recover. We flew everyone home as quickly as we could. A few healers were able to come tend to the injured at the island in the healing hut, but you and Korra were transferred to Republic City Hospital for your wounds.”

“What, they couldn’t fix us there? How badly was I hurt?”

“Your left leg is broken in three places…you have two broken ribs, and they saved your eye but the wound is still healing.”

“And Korra?” 

“We aren’t sure. Both of her legs were badly mangled. They healed the bones, but she cannot walk.”

“Shit.” 

“I know. She woke up two days ago. Her mother’s making her way North now.”

“Two days? Tenzin, how long have I been out?” Kya asked, shocked by the time lapse. 

“Four.” 

“We don’t recover like we used to, huh?” Kya offered, trying to lighten the mood.

“Unfortunately not,” Tenzin returned. 

Just then, a nurse entered the room. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?” She was a petite woman with brown hair pulled back into a tight bun and green eyes, only made more brilliant by her matching green scrubs. Kya’s interest immediately piqued. 

“Like I have a broken leg and two broken ribs,” Kya smiled at her. 

“Ah, I see you got the update then,” she nodded at Tenzin and approached Kya. “I just need to check your vitals.” 

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Tenzin said and left the room. 

“Anything extra you can give me for the pain?” Kya asked the cute nurse as her expert hands wrapped the band around her arm and inflated it. 

“You’re technically at the top of our recommended dosage,” the nurse replied before breathing onto the stethoscope and rubbing it against her scrubs to warm it up before placing it on her arm. Kya let her finish listening before replying. 

“Can’t you make an exception? Even once?” Kya winked with her good eye. 

“Does that usually get you far?” the nurse replied with a knowing smile. 

“It hasn’t failed me yet,” Kya flashed her brilliant teeth. “Works better when I have two eyes.” 

“I’m sure,” the nurse briefly made eye contact with her before continuing her work. “I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate you flirting your way to painkillers.” 

Kya’s smile dropped, confused, “I don’t have a girlfriend?”

This time it was the nurse’s turn to pause in confusion. “Oh, I’m sorry...I just assumed…” 

Kya stared at her, “Assumed I had a girlfriend?” She laughed. “What would even give you that idea?” But before the nurse could even say it, she remembered Lin asleep on the couch. 

“I’m sorry...it’s none of my business, I shouldn’t have…” she fiddled with the IV nervously. “The Chief’s just been sleeping here for the past few nights, and I...sorry.” The nurse released the lines and made a beeline for the door, clearly embarrassed.

“No, wait,” Kya called after her, wanting to make sure she’d understood her correctly. “What did you just say?”

The nurse stopped in the doorway and turned to look at Kya, a blush crept up both cheeks. “Chief Beifong’s barely left your side since you got here. I think she goes to work and then comes here immediately after. She’s slept on that couch every night...we all just assumed. I’m so sorry.” 

“No, no, it’s ok…” Kya felt her heart pulling in her chest. “Every night? She’s been here every night?”

“Yes, she comes every day with a fresh set of flowers,” The nurse pointed at the bouquet on the table Kya noticed earlier with her chin. “And a book. She’d read to you until she fell asleep, and then get up at the crack of dawn and head out.” 

“Oh…” was all Kya could manage through the knot at the base of her throat. She cleared it and then asked, “Could I get some water, if I can’t get the drugs?” 

The nurse relaxed her shoulders, “I can bring you ice chips and maybe sneak you a pill or two?”

“Perfect, thank you!” Kya smiled, trying to mask the emotional rollercoaster taking hold of her chest. With that, the nurse nodded and left Kya alone in her room. 

Kya stared at the flowers, tears finally releasing now that she was alone. She’d spent the past month trying to push away her feelings for Lin, convinced it was over, that Lin wanted nothing more to do with her. But here she was in the hospital being told the Chief had barely left her side. She’d been there waiting for her to wake up, reading to her every night. Kya thought back of the night she went to Lin’s house, her grandfather’s book collection in her living room lining the walls.

“It’s one of the few things that truly calms me,” she’d told Kya about reading. The thought that Lin had been there, stressing over Kya’s state every night, waiting and reading and hoping she’d wake up was overwhelming. The singing in her heart that had realized she was in love with Lin Beifong was belting again, but her mind wasn’t so quick to give into the melody. 

She needed to see her, to speak to her. Lin had been so insistent that it was a mistake, that it was over. Where did they stand now? And was Kya willing to go risk it again for someone who was so quick to end it the first time?

The more she thought about it, the more exhausted she became and eventually it was too much to keep her eye open. She just hoped the nurse would wake her up when she came back with her ice chips and pills.

* * *

Lin paced the lobby of the hospital, uncertain if she should climb the steps back up to Kya’s room or not. The past few days had been so stressful that Lin hadn’t thought about how to move forward once Kya woke up. She didn’t know how to tell her how she felt, admit that she’d been wrong in turning her away, that she didn’t believe they were a mistake, but in fact that she was better with her than she was without.

But the more she thought about actually saying any of this - of laying herself out there only to be rejected - the more she considered leaving altogether. She wouldn’t blame her, either. If the roles were reversed, she couldn’t see herself forgiving someone who sent her packing so quickly when she was in a time of need. Kya had been welcoming, patient, and caring for Lin after everything with Amon and her bending. And yet the one time Kya needed her, she needed the support, Lin had let her shame and insecurities win and threw her out. No, she wouldn’t blame Kya at all if she told her to fuck off for good. 

Lin let her insecurities creep back in, the voice in her head keeping her moving to this point was faint. She always knew it wasn’t really her and now that she was there, awake, it wasn’t worth pretending anymore. Kya was alive, she was on the mend, and she could move on with her life without Lin. It was likely for the best. 

With her mind made up, Lin approached the door to leave the hospital when suddenly an unfamiliar voice called her name, stopping her. 

“Chief Beifong?” 

Lin spun around to find a nurse standing there, a cup of ice in her hand. 

“I’m sorry to bother, I just thought you might want to know she’s awake.”

Lin blinked at the nurse, not sure how to respond. 

The nurse bit her lip at the awkward silence, “I was just going to bring this up to her...if you wanted to come say ‘hi’?”

“Oh...uh…I really should be going...”

The nurse paused and examined Lin’s nervous eyes, remembering the shock on Kya’s face when she told her that it had been the Chief who’d brought her the flowers. She didn’t know the full story between the two women, but she could put together enough that it was worth trying. “She really loved the flowers,” the nurse offered. “I’m sure she’d love to thank you for them.” 

Lin stared at the nurse again and cleared her throat. She didn’t believe in signs or fate, but something about the nurse’s face made her want to trust her. 

“Yeah, sure, I’ll stop by and say hello...if she’s up for the company.” 

“I’m sure she will be!” The woman’s face lit up with a smile and she turned and walked up the stairs with Republic City’s Chief of Police following right behind her. 

They stopped in the doorway and Lin could see over the nurse’s head that Kya was asleep again. “If she’s asleep, I don’t want to wake her up…”

But the nurse ignored the officer’s protest and stormed into the room, knocking on the open door to wake Kya. “I got your ice chips,” she announced, and Kya opened her right eye. The nurse approached her and placed the cup on a small tray that she carried over to Kya and then adjusted the bed so that she could sit up slightly. 

Kya winced at the pain shooting up her side, “But more importantly did you get the goods?” She asked. 

“I don’t think we should be discussing my slipping you any drugs in front of your visitor,” the nurse whispered, looking back at the doorway. “Chief, you still there?” 

Kya held her breath as soon as the nurse said it, and waited for her to appear in the doorway. 

Lin took a deep breath and walked through the door, “Hey, you…” she said awkwardly. “It’s good to see you up…” 

Kya’s head was swimming and she looked from Lin to the nurse, who quickly winked at her and slid something into her open hand on the bed. Kya had to smile at the quick motion and mouthed, “You’re a star,” at the nurse who smirked and left the two women in the room, nodding at Lin knowingly as she walked past her. 

Lin’s brow furrowed, unsure of how to process the exchanges. “What’d she give you?” She asked, avoiding the elephant mandrill in the room. 

Kya took two ice cubes and set them to the side of her cheek so they could melt. “A couple of extra poppy tablets,” Kya popped them into her mouth and used the melted ice to quickly wash them down.

“Good to know the city’s hospital staff is pushing pills,” Lin said, trying to joke.

“Lin, please don’t start with your holier than thou shit,” Kya sighed. “I’m really in a lot of pain here. Leave her alone.”

Lin frowned and kicked the door frame and played with the binding of the book she’d brought for the night still in her hands, “Already off to a great start, jackass,” she thought to herself. 

“I won’t...I was kidding. I’m sure if she gave them to you it’s because you need them and she knows what she’s doing.” 

“Oh...sorry.” Kya looked down at her cup and fiddled with the ice cubes, bending them in and out of their solid state. After a pregnant pause, she finally spoke again. “Thanks for the flowers, by the way. They’re beautiful.” 

“I thought you might like something bright to wake-” Lin caught herself. As far as she knew, Kya wasn’t aware she’d spent every night by her side. 

“I did,” Kya said carefully. “I was surprised to see you here, too.” 

Lin finally looked up at Kya and blushed, she’d been unsure if she’d remember the brief exchange and was hoping she wouldn’t. Too late. 

“Yeah, sorry…” Lin was trying to come up with a quick cover story. 

“Why are you sorry?” 

“I- I just…” Lin stammered, she didn’t know what to say and she felt trapped. “I doubt I’m the first person you’d want to wake up to, I guess...given the last time. It should’ve been Tenzin, or Bumi, or…”

“I’m glad it was you,” Kya cut her off and Lin felt her heart drop to her stomach. Her eyes wide with bewilderment. “I’m glad you were here when I woke up, and I’m glad you were here by my side every night.” 

Lin’s chest felt tight and her body hot, she took a deep breath. “She does know,” she thought and squeezed her grip on the book. 

“I...um…” Lin was blushing and her breathing rapid. “I heard once that reading is good for unconscious patients because it keeps their mind active. I remembered the book you were looking at that night…” Lin paused and her face flushed with shame at the mention of their last night together. 

Kya registered it, but didn’t want to press. They’d talk about that night in due time, but today she wanted to focus on the present. “Thank you, I appreciate you doing that for me.”

“Kya…” Lin moved into the room and approached the side of the bed, placing the book down on the tray and dropping her hand so that it was just above Kya’s. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest, she was certain the water bender could hear it. 

Kya could feel her emotions tearing at her, tears assaulting her single eye, but she held it together. She needed Lin to say more before she could let go. “Yes, Lin?”

Lin looked into her tired, blue eye and examined her face. It had healed so much since she knelt beside her at the Northern Air Temple, but her left side was still bruised and swollen. Stitches lining her brow, sealing the deep wound even the healers couldn’t fix. She thought of her own scar and wondered if Kya’s face would always keep the memory of that traumatic day. 

It had broken Lin seeing Kya on the ground unconscious, but in a different way than what she’d felt in Zaofu before her sessions. Her insecurities and resentments had been her own burdens to bear, and bear them she had for so long. Even when it all felt as though it were spiraling, like she was at her worst, Lin knew she could control it. But Kya, saving Kya...she was at an utter loss. Lin had never been a particularly spiritual person, but from the moment she saw Kya that day in the cave to the second she woke up, Lin bartered with the spirits. She begged them to help her recover, to send her back to the world of the conscious so that she could live another day. Even if it wasn’t with Lin. 

She took a deep breath before continuing. “Kya, I…I’m so, incredibly sorry about everything. I was wrong, I was so wrong. And seeing you injured like this...carrying your body and not knowing if you were going to make it...it broke my heart.” The tears started to flow, it was all pouring out of her. “I know I hurt you, and if I could go back in time and undo that night I would. I’d do anything to prevent causing you pain, to prevent all of this. Kya, I’m so sorry, I love you.” 

It was out before she even realized she had said it; her eyes went wide and her heart stopped waiting for the fallout. 

“I forgive you, Lin,” Kya said softly, grabbing Lin’s hand and rubbing her thumb over the rough knuckles. 

“You do?”

“Of course I do,” Kya said, pulling the metal bender’s hand to her mouth and kissing her fingers. “Lin, I love you, too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The updates should get a little more frequent now that I have a bit more free range from the cannon. Two years to fill between Book 3 and Book 4? I can't wait hehe.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya is released from the hospital.

The nurse wrapped her hand behind Kya’s back and held her hand, anchoring her as the waterbender shifted the weight of her cast leg off the bed and placed her feet on the ground.

“Here, let me grab the crutches for you,” the nurse said, sliding away so that the hand shifted from behind Kya’s back down her arm and again held her hand for support. 

Lin walked in and witnessed the exchange, her brow immediately furrowing as her cheeks flushed red. A wave of anger quickly washed over her at the sight of Kya holding the other woman’s hand. 

“Do you need help?” she asked, already moving toward the bed before anyone could answer, grabbing Kya’s free hand with her left as her right arm made its way around her waist. 

“Thanks!” the nurse said, completely missing the reaction and letting go of Kya’s hand so that she could grab the crutches that rested against the opposite wall.

Kya looked up at Lin and smiled, “I think I can stand on my own,” she assured.

“Are you sure?” Lin asked, still holding onto her.

“Yes, let me try.” Lin released Kya, but lingered over her, ready to catch her if she wavered.

The nurse approached with the crutches, holding them out in front of the waterbender. Kya took a deep breath, which aggravated the pain in her ribs and she closed her eyes and winced.

Both the nurse and Lin made a start, but she merely held up her palm to stop them. “I can do this,” she insisted again. Placing her palms on either side of her on the bed, she exhaled softly and pushed up, her right leg wobbling slightly from carrying all the weight. Kya quickly grabbed the handles of the crutches and pulled them under her arms, the nurse moving with her to keep them steady. Lin’s hand hovering at her back, ready to assist. Kya pressed her weight down onto the wooden crutches and adjusted herself so that she could stand on her own.

“You got it?” the nurse asked. 

“Yes,” Kya said, lifting her right clutch slightly off the ground and angling it away towards the wall. The nurse took the hint and backed up so that Kya could test drive. Kya then lifted both crutches and swung them forward, following the motion with her good leg until it settled and then lifting herself so that her bandaged leg followed. Her ribs screamed at the motion and it took all Kya had not to come crashing down on her only stable leg when she landed. 

No sooner had she wavered was Lin already behind her, holding her up by her hips; the nurse at her side holding her elbow. 

“I’ve got her,” Lin shot at the nurse a little too harshly and Kya craned her neck to try to get a look at the Chief of Police behind her. 

“I’m ok, I’m ok…” she repeated, but neither of the other two women seemed convinced. 

“We can still do the wheelchair…” the nurse said. It had been the original recommendation, but Kya in her stubbornness had insisted she’d be ok to get on the crutches. 

“I think that may be for the best,” Lin answered for her, which irked Kya to no end. 

“No, I’ll be ok! I just need to get home and into some spirit water and the ribs won’t be a problem anymore.” 

“Kya, it’s still a long ride home,” Lin reminded her. “At least take the chair until we can get you back to the Temple.” 

“The Chief’s right,” the nurse insisted. “You’ll only aggravate it worse from here to there. You can take the crutches too, but at least take the chair for now.” 

Kya sighed, her head starting to hurt and her annoyance mounting. She knew her body better than either of them, and despite the nurse’s best efforts, Kya was also a healer. She knew exactly what her ribs could tolerate and what she’d do to address them once she got home. But she also knew it wasn’t worth arguing, both women just had her best interests at heart. 

“Fine,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Bring the chair.” 

“I’ll go get it,” the nurse said, letting go of Kya’s elbow and running out of the room. 

“Here, let me help you back to bed,” Lin said, she shifted her weight around Kya so that her arm never left her waist and grabbed both crutches with her free hand and rested them on the couch in front of them. Turning her attention back to Kya, she quickly bent down and tucked her arm under Kya’s knees and lifted her off the ground.

“Lin, you don’t have to carry me,” Kya said with a shake of her head and a chuckle.

“Maybe I want to,” Lin said softly, a blush crossing her cheeks. 

Kya smiled and she felt her earlier annoyance dissipate – Lin really was just trying to take care of her. “Thank you,” she replied, her hand caressing Lin’s cheek as she moved in slowly and brought their lips together for a gentle kiss. 

The nurse returned with the chair and wheeled it into the room up to Lin, who was still holding Kya. “Here you go,” she said, pressing her foot down on the lock behind one of the wheels. 

Lin shifted and gently placed Kya down so that her back faced the seat and she was able to drop down into it. Lin moved behind the chair, unlocked it, and turned so that Kya was now facing the nurse and the door. “Thanks,” Lin said gruffly to the nurse and frowned at herself.

Despite the fact that this woman had essentially reunited them and went out of her way to help Kya, Lin couldn’t help the anger that overcame her every time the nurse was in the room with them. It didn’t help that the women had developed a sort of friendship over the past three days Kya had been awake. Lin could feel her blood boil every time the woman’s silky hands made their way around Kya’s arms to take her pressure; she’d seeth at the sound of their laughter filling the air as they gossiped about the other staff at the hospital. Her own calloused palms and dry humor paled in comparison to the nurse’s. 

Lin was thrilled when Kya said she was finally being released. It meant she’d never have to see the nurse again and they could finally move forward and mend the relationship that had started months ago at the Southern Water Tribe. 

“Emi, thank you so much for all your help these past few days, you’ve been a star!” Kya gushed at the nurse and Lin felt her stomach turn.

“Oh my spirits, of course!” the nurse replied. “As soon as you’re back on both legs without falling over we have to try out that noodle bar you were telling me about.”

“Noodle bar?” Lin repeated in a whisper.

“Yes! The one downtown! I’ll give you a call once I’m back in action and we’ll go.” 

Lin gripped the handles of the chair until her knuckles turned white. “We should really get going…” 

“Of course. I have no doubts you’ll take good care of her, Chief,” Emi said, moving out of their way. “Take care.” 

Lin made a guttural “hmph” in reply and pushed Kya forward out the door and down the hall until they reached the elevators. Lin slammed into the button repeatedly as if it would help the cart arrive any faster.

“Lin, are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” she said dryly. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Wait!” Emi’s voice called out to them from the hall. She was walking quickly toward the couple, crutches in hand. “You almost forgot these!” 

“Thanks, Emi!” Kya said, just as the doors opened. “I’ll let you know once I’ve gotten the hang of standing upright!” And with a laugh she pushed herself into the elevator. 

Lin pulled the crutches from Emi’s hands, “Thanks.” And with a huff she turned on her heel and entered the door, punching the button for the lobby.

* * *

Kya’s first order of business was to repair her ribs. Her leg still had some ways to heal before she’d be able to aid the process with water, but if she could get her ribs situated it’d make breathing and walking easier. She estimated she needed three sessions a day, for two days straight to get it all remedied and get onto the crutches. With a new day started, and Lin off at work, Kya wheeled herself across the Temple, through the healing hut she still had to finish setting up, and to the spirit water pools at the back. She examined the space and decided there was no clean way to get herself down to the ground and next to the water. Resigned to the chair, she inched forward and pulled a stream of water out of the pool and wound it around her torso and up over her still bruised eye. 

“How’re the ribs coming together?” Bumi asked, startling Kya and the water dropping onto her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, no, you’re fine,” Kya said, bending herself dry. “Actually, I could use your help. Can you get me down to the stone? That’ll make this so much easier.”

“Sure thing,” Bumi said, lifting under her arms and kicking back the chair with a huff. 

“Are you ok? How’s your leg?” 

“Better than yours,” he chuckled, but continued guiding her down to the ground before sitting next to her and facing the pool. “It’s more of a sprain now than a broken bone.”

“Do you want me to?” Kya asked, moving her hands forward and up so that a stream of water lifted out of the pool and hovered above his leg. 

“If you would be so kind, I’d greatly appreciate it,” Her brother responded.

Kya smiled and waved her hands back and forth as the spirit water swirled around his leg, glowing as it healed the remaining infractions. Kya then waved her hands, directing the water back into the pool. Bumi’s foot twisted left and right, his knee bending and straightening. “As good as new! Thanks!” 

“Anytime.” 

“Those Republic City healers weren’t as good as you, you know” Bumi whispered.

“Well I learned from the best,” she smiled, lifting another stream of fresh pool water and continuing her self ministrations. “As soon as they said my ribs were broken and they couldn’t heal them, I knew they were shit.” 

Bumi gave a hearty laugh. “It’ll be good once you finally open up shop, then maybe you can teach them, too, like Mom did.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Kya said softly. 

A comfortable silence took over the room as Kya continued her healing. After a few minutes, her brother finally broke it. 

“So, what’s up with you and Lin? I thought you said you weren’t dating, then she wouldn’t leave your side the entire time at the hospital. And I think I saw her leaving this morning? What gives?”

Kya blushed, Lin had spent the night, he was right. “We’re...well, I’m not sure what we are, exactly, we haven’t discussed it. But we are together?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

Kya laughed, “Telling. We are. She told me she loves me.”

“Oh, shit,” Bumi said, eyes wide. “You’ve come a long way from telling me to drop it just a few weeks ago. So stereotypical” he teased, pushing her arm gently, nearly causing her to drop the water again. 

“Shut up,” Kya rolled her eyes. “What do you even know about lesbian stereotypes?”

“I’m a man of the world. I’ve traveled. I know things.”

This time it was Kya’s turn to laugh and she quickly flicked her wrist and sent sprinkles of water his way. 

“Hey!” Bumi said, wiping his face. “So are you going to shack up here on Air Temple Island or move into the city?”

“Bumi, I don’t even know what we’re calling...whatever this is yet...we’re nowhere near moving in together. We still need to figure things out. I still have a lot I don’t even know about Lin!”

“What do you not know? We’ve known her since she was literally born. Spirits, we were there when she was born!” Bumi said, emphatically waving his arms. 

“Why do you want me to rush into this so badly?” Kya asked, scrunching her face.

“Eh, I just want to see you happy is all,” Bumi shrugged. “And we’re not getting any younger. I say throw caution to the wind. You’ve known her forever, you just nearly died, who gives a shit about getting to know each other anymore?”

“I don’t think it’s that simple, Bum, but I appreciate your support,” she said, finally waving her hands again and moving the water back into the pool. Kya took a deep breath and pressure tested the pain. It was an improvement, but she still needed a few more sessions to get there. 

“Why don’t you make yourself useful and help me back into the chair, huh?” 

* * *

Lin bobbed on the water as the little jet boat crossed between the harbor of Republic City and the pier on Air Temple Island. She looked down at the small bag to ensure the contents hadn’t spilt before looking back at the massive stone temple. Nostalgia washed over Lin as her muscles fell back into an old memory – she expertly docked the Police boat on the island, bending the metal chords that replaced the traditional rope around the anchors and pulling them round until she could comfortably step onto the wooden planks. 

It had been years since she’d made a personal trip to properly visit someone on the island, but it’d been a regular commute growing up between weeknight dinners, birthdays, and holidays spent with Katara and the kids, and then, of course, there were the years with Tenzin. In some ways, when Amon took her bending on the landing in front of the Temple she felt it appropriate – her two biggest heart breaks happening in the same spot. But now, as she climbed the steps up, she remembered not the breakup or the Equalists, but her childhood memories of racing Su to the landing and beating her every time. Of the walks she’d take with Tenzin around the island complaining about her mother, before their relationship was marred with romance and betrayal. Of the mischief they’d all get into when Izumi came to visit and they’d steal from Uncle Sokka’s secret stash and deny it all when the adults could smell the liquor on their breaths at dinner. Lin smiled to herself in relief that for the first time in twenty years she could look at the temple and focus on the joy, instead of the pain, associated with the source of her childhood memories. 

Lin reached the healing hut and knocked on the door. 

“Come in!” Kya’s voice called out. 

Lin slid the door open and entered, an intense cloud of incense smacking her in the face causing her to cough. “Spirits, that’s intense.”

“Sorry!” Kya called out, rolling herself to the nearest window, but she struggled to open it from her seat. 

Lin slid the door open further and then walked over to Kya and opened the window.

“Thanks...sorry about that. I guess I didn’t realize how much had accumulated,” she said with a laugh. 

“Are you trying to conjure the whole Spirit World in here? You know there’s a portal in the city now, right?”

“Ha ha,” Kya responded sarcastically. “It’s actually supposed to be soothing, so that your muscles relax. I thought it might help me focus on my healing.” 

Lin frowned, “Is the water not working?” 

“No, it is, it is. I just want to aid it along faster so I can breathe easily and get back on my feet

“And get noodles with Emi?” Lin whispered under her breath, turning away from Kya and grabbing the bag she had nearly forgotten about in the doorway. 

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.” 

Kya frowned, “Did you say something about Emi?”

Lin’s shoulders tensed, but she didn’t reply. Instead she bent down and grabbed the bag, opening it and pulling out a container. “I brought you dinner.” 

Kya didn’t know whether to ask again or let Lin deflect. She thought back to her conversation with her brother and confirmed again: they still had much to learn about each other. They still had to discuss Lin’s reaction that night, they still had to unpack where they stood, and all that was more important than an odd comment about her new friend. 

“Oh, what’d you bring?” Kya asked instead, letting it go.

“I stopped into Turtle Duck Delight and picked up some curry…”

Kya’s chest felt warm and her face lit up, “Lin!” She exclaimed, all previous concerns quickly washing away at the prospect of her favorite meal. 

“Do you still like it?” 

“I can’t believe you remembered that.”

Lin blushed, “How could I forget? You made us go any time you came into the city.” 

“Does Xiang still own it?”

“It’s his son running the place now, but it’s just as good as ever.” 

“I’m so excited, wow! Thank you!” 

Lin couldn’t help but smile back at Kya. “Do you want to eat in here or go out to the dining hall?”

Kya considered her options, “Actually, can you make us a little table outside so we can look at the city?” 

“I can do that,” Lin said, turning in the doorway and stomping her feet onto the ground. The island shook softly and then in the distance a mound of rock propped up in the shape of a table. 

“Perfect,” Kya said, rolling herself over to it, Lin following behind with the meals. 

The women settled themselves at the table and dug into their to-go containers. 

“Mmmm,” Kya moaned. “This is better than I even remembered.”

“When’s the last time you had it?” 

“Probably two years ago when I came to visit Tenzin and the kids for the summer. I hadn’t really gotten a chance recently with everything going on and then trying to get the healing center up and running again.”

Lin’s eyebrows lifted, “So you are planning on reopening the practice? I was wondering, when we got back after… The space looked like it had undergone some renovations and I was curious if that was the plan.”

“It is! I actually already moved my stuff up from the Southern Water Tribe, so after thirty-five years, I’m officially a resident of Air Temple Island again.” 

“Welcome back,” Lin said, lifting her glass bottle of beer she’d picked up with dinner at Kya. “I was wondering if we’d have to go back to written correspondence or not.” She said with a wink and a smirk.

“Lin, can I talk to you about something?”

Lin’s lips quickly turned down into a frown, this question wasn’t often followed by friendly conversation. “Sure,” she said, trying to calm her nerves. 

“Where do we stand?”

Lin paused and blinked at Kya, not sure how to answer. “What, uh...how do you mean?”

“Us, you and I – what are we?”

“What do you want us to be?” Lin offered back. She didn’t know what they were either, and even if a little voice in the back of her mind still thought she was not suitable for love, the larger part of her knew she wanted Kya in her life.

“A couple. Officially.” Kya said firmly. “What do you want?”

Lin took another sip of her beer. “I want you, Kya. I want to be with you.”

“With commitment and all the strings attached?” Kya said, a smile in her eyes. They were the same words Lin had said she didn’t want all those months ago in Kya’s home down south.

“With commitment and all the strings attached,” she repeated, reaching her hand across the stone table and grabbing Kya’s. “I love you, Kya. I meant it when I said it the other day. Holding you in my arms like that...not sure if you were going to…”

“I understand,” Kya said with a nod, tears in her eyes. With everything going on, Lin had completely forgotten Ying Yue, Kya’s first love. Her eyes darted down to the crescent moon choker. 

“That pain was worse,” Lin said softly. 

“Worse than what?” Kya asked, puzzled.

“Losing my bending,” Lin said firmly. “Seeing you like that and not being able to do anything...not knowing if you would...it was worse. I’m so sorry.”

Kya tried to smile for Lin’s sake, but her lip quivered, tears streaming down her eyes. But it wasn’t just the memory of her lost love that brought the tears, it was the pain of knowing her current love had almost experienced the same anguish. She hadn’t loved anyone since Ying Yue until Lin, and the thought that they’d nearly lost it all was too much. The tears came with a sob.

“Oh, Kya, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring her up and upset you,” Lin said moving in and crouching before Kya so she could wipe her tears. 

“It’s not her,” Kya said between sobs. “It’s you, it’s us. I love you, Lin. I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You won’t,” Lin insisted. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to stay this time, I promise. I really am sorry for that night, Kya. I let my insecurities push you away because I thought that’s what was best for you. It was stupid.”

“It’s not stupid, Lin, if it’s how you felt. It’s valid.” Kya said, finally composing herself. “But we need to be able to talk through those feelings, those insecurities. Pushing them away will only hurt us.”

Lin closed her eyes, she could feel the tears pushing through. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Kya grabbed her hands and held them to her chest. “Promise me you’ll trust me to work through them? That we can try to talk through them?”

Lin sighed and opened her eyes, “I can only promise to try.” She gave Kya a weak half smile. “I’m not good at this, Kya. The emotion, the talking. Even with Tenzin, I was always quick to anger, quick to react. I’ll make an effort, but I also need you to be patient with me. It doesn’t come easily.” 

Kya’s hand lifted to Lin’s cheek. “I can be patient.”

“Then I can try to talk about how I’m feeling when I’m feeling...instead of exploding.” 

Kya laughed, breaking the tension. “Perfect.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very excited to start exploring those insecurities and building out their love!!!!! We're setting the stage for one soon, as I'm sure you can all figure out :P


End file.
